This summer, Trafford hosted two highly successful Living Well with Dementia events aimed at raising awareness, celebrating community partnerships, and supporting people affected by dementia and their families.

Altrincham Town Hall – May 2025

The first event took place at Altrincham Town Hall, welcoming more than 500 local residents who had the opportunity to engage with a wide range of services and activities promoting wellbeing and inclusion for people living with dementia. Attendees also enjoyed a moving performance from The Vibrant Voices Choir, a group for people living with dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke survivors, and their carers.

Sale Community Fire Station – August 2025

The second event was held on the August Bank Holiday Sunday, hosted by Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service at Sale Community Fire Station as part of their community open day.
Over 350 residents attended, enjoying a day filled with interactive activities, therapy ponies, specialist talks, and information on local dementia support.

Cross-Sector Collaboration

Across both events, over 25 exhibitors represented the NHS, Trafford Council, emergency services, voluntary and community organisations, and local businesses — offering valuable information about local dementia services and support options. This included care providers, community groups, health and wellbeing services, and legal and financial professionals.

Both events were supported by the South and Central Trafford Primary Care Networks (PCNs), who played an important role in raising awareness and engaging with local residents.

Recognising Local Leadership and Collaboration

These events were the result of genuine teamwork from a dedicated partnership group, including representatives from Home Instead (Altrincham, Sale and Wythenshawe), Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service, the Alzheimer’s Society, Age UK Salford and Trafford, Care UK, Altrincham Healthcare Alliance, Sale PCN,   and the Trafford Carers Centre.

Special thanks to:

• Jonny Thomas, Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service, for his vision, time and dedication in making the Sale event possible.
• Dan Shelston, Trafford South and Central Neighbourhood Lead, for connecting partners and driving collaboration across the borough.
• Sian Steeples and the Home Instead team, for organising logistics, coordinating exhibitors, and working hard on publicity

These events showcased the power of partnership working and community engagement in supporting people affected by dementia. They demonstrated how local services and residents can come together to create inclusive spaces where everyone feels supported and informed.

Photographs from both events were kindly shared by Sian Steeples, capturing the enthusiasm and community spirit of the days.