GM Walking and Wheeling Grants: Together Dementia Support
15/02/2024
GM Walking and Wheeling Fund: Success stories
A look at how voluntary and community organisations, helped with a grant from the GM Walking and Wheeling Fund, have supported their community to move more regularly.
The GM Walking and Wheeling Fund aims to get Greater Manchester more active with grants supporting a huge range of projects that encourage our communities to connect with others and get active together through walking and wheeling.
One of the groups that benefitted was Together Dementia Support, a charity which supports people across Manchester and North Trafford to live positively with dementia.
Here, Business Support Manager, Fiona Brown, tells us more about their Winter Walks project and what’s next for them.
About the project
The Winter Walks pilot was a series of ten wellbeing walks in parks and beauty spots across Manchester for carers of people with dementia, with a focus on carer wellbeing, connecting with nature, and socialising.
The walks took place at the same time as the existing dementia groups, meaning carers could attend the walk while their cared-for person attended a group, or having their cared-for person join them on the walk.
This proved very popular with people with dementia enjoying walking and talking in the outdoors.
How did it go?
This pilot was a huge success. The walks were very popular, and everybody enjoyed walking and talking in the outdoors with others with lived experience of the challenges of being a carer. The energy at the end of the walk, the smiles, the hugs, and the new friendships made were a joy to see.
We were also very happy that we managed to reach carers who have previously not been known to our organisation and help and support them in their dementia carer journey.
“It is a great help to me to get out and about. My mental health has been very low recently and my caring role is the main reason for this. The group makes me feel normal and allows me to get some fresh air, exercise, and chat to other carers.”
Diana
What have you learned from the project?
Recruitment of walkers was initially slow but picked up in February with the longer and drier days. Also, the weather led to the cancellation of one walk, but we were able to rearrange it.
As lack of transport can be a barrier for some group members, we used some of the funding to support carers with transport, which really helped.
We had initially intended that carers might continue habitually walking on their own and form their own walking group, but with the nature of caring, and carers being unable to take time for themselves, we believe that organisation-led walks will work better. We are exploring how we can continue this.
“After the walk I feel refreshed. It was just a little time out of caring for my mother whose dementia is advanced and has no mobility hence I don’t get out for much fresh air when I am caring for her.”
Miranda
What’s next for Together Dementia Support?
We’ve seen the value of offering the carers we support the opportunity to take part in gentle, accessible exercise. We’ve also seen first-hand the positive impact increased physical activity has on brain health.
As such, the carers walks have continued, and we’ve also started to offer Tai Chi sessions.