Community based activities

Our Voice Matters (Hartlepool)

Our Voice Matters wanted to know what the impact of community-based groups was on people with dementia. People with dementia knew that they had thrived by being involved in different activities and groups in Hartlepool. They thought a lot of this success was down to encouragement at diagnosis, which gave them the confidence to start or join groups.

They created a survey and had group discussions with people with dementia to find out about the impact of being engaged in activities. They also created a survey for professionals to find out about their experiences of organising activities in the community. The group found that attending group activities provided a range of benefits including (a) making friends; (b) socialising; (c) having fun; (d) relaxing; (e) enjoyment; and (f) finding out about other things available in their area. The results from people with dementia and professionals helped the group to create some top tips for people starting a group and those who are attending a group for the first time.