Dementia team marks first year
ADEMENTIA support service which has run more than 2,000 sessions for older people in its first year has celebrated its birthday.
The Age UK Cheshire East charity started running the dementia service at its base in Macclesfield a year ago.
The service has been a success since it started, with 65 families or carers accessing support. During this time, 2,273 sessions have been provided for older people living with memory loss. A number of emergency respite places have also been available, providing an all-important last minute break for carers.
Now the team has celebrated the first anniversary of the opening of the support service by holding a celebratory tea party for service users, families and carers. At the celebration event, the charity’s chief executive Damon Taylor said: “Thanks to all of you for making this new service so successful in its first year, and providing so much support and care for people living with dementia. We are proud to be able to provide such a service and look forward to it going from strength to strength over the coming years.
“Since the service started, it has been known by the rather formal name of the Dementia Day Support Service, but I am pleased to announce that from now on, our service users and their carers will know us as The New Horizons Club, which we think is a great name for all we do here at the New Horizons Centre.”
The centre was developed after the charity identified a lack of suitable pro- vision in Macclesfield for people and their families living with memory loss.
Thanks to the generous financial contributions from a number of parties, the specially adapted centre was officially opened by MP David Rutley MP on September 12 2016.
Mr Taylor said: “The service aims to ensure that those who come along have a great time, with lots of chat, a variety of games and activities and the opportunity to have trips out in the charity’s very own minibus.
“A combination of staff and volunteers interact with service users and ensure that everybody leaves the centre at the end of the day feeling good about their day.”
The New Horizons Club is based at the New Horizons Centre on Henderson Street in Macclesfield.
Anyone who is interested in attending can call the charity on 01625 612958.