Completed projects

Big brain health fund

We awarded 24 one-off grants of up to £5,000 to kick start creative arts & healthy living projects. The key focus was on sustainability to support Dementia United’s strategic focus on brain health. Read more

Brain health and wellbeing initiatives

We know that engaging in creative activities can improve the health and wellbeing of people living with dementia. Greater Manchester will be the first city region in the world to realise the power of creativity, culture, and heritage in addressing inequities and improving the health and wellbeing of its residents and the Greater Manchester Creative Health Strategy launched in November 2022, setting out the role of creative health in addressing health inequalities across the life course. With this in mind, Dementia United set up a several small grant funds to support creative activity and brain health. Read more

Creativity in care homes

Healthy homes

Healthy Homes is a crucial part of improving the lives of people with dementia and their carers – for better or worse, housing has an enormous impact on our lives. Whether through making the home more suitable for people diagnosed with dementia or by building stronger coalitions for a more diverse housing offer in Greater Manchester, our approach is characterised by partnership working, innovation and an approach which puts the person (and their rights) at the centre of our plans. Find out more about how our approach can help support people living with dementia and their carers through housing. Read more

Greater Manchester partnerships supporting the LGBTQI+ community

The aim of the project was to scope out opportunities for people affected by dementia, from the LGBTQI+ community, to be able to share their experiences. These experiences and feedback would then inform and drive improvements in the quality of services, information, and support available. Read more

Locality projects

Dementia United was able to award up to £10,000 to each locality in Greater Manchester to support an innovative project relating to one or more of the Dementia United key focus areas or golden threads. It was intended that the locality projects would be innovative, have sustainable outcomes and be transferable across Greater Manchester and/or regionally or nationally. Read more

Mild Cognitive Impairment

In collaboration with the MCI Academy. In 2017 Dementia United observed a lack of consistency in how people across Greater Manchester were diagnosed and supported with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). We also heard from people living with MCI how a diagnosis could be confusing and lead to uncertainty as to what the future may hold. Although MCI is not a form of dementia, those with a diagnosis are at increased risk of developing dementia and may benefit from extra support to improve their brain health and reduce their lifestyle risks. Read more

Community dementia awareness training

A dementia diagnosis can bring with it many changes and challenges. But isolation, loneliness and loss of confidence can also be a factor. Art, music and leisure activities can offer physical and psychological benefits to those living with a dementia and their care partners, benefits which can improve their brain health and help them maintain independence for longer (https://arts4dementia.org.uk/sp/).

Dementia United worked together with Trafford and Wigan and GreaterSport to fund an exciting piece of work to empower community groups, businesses and leisure providers to support people living with cognitive impairment and dementia in their communities. Working in partnership, Made by Mortals and Together Dementia Support developed an immersive training experience co-produced and shaped by people living with dementia and their care partners.

This resource was developed through several workshops alongside people with lived experience of dementia and provides an honest, and at points raw, reflection of the challenges and barriers they face when trying to access community and leisure services in their local areas. It also provides helpful information on how businesses and community providers can become more dementia friendly, encouraging and supporting workshop attendees to make the changes necessary to facilitate people living with dementia to reconnect with their local communities. www.madebymortals.org/dementia-resource/