EachStep Blackley Dementia Cafe Launches

On 12^th August, Community Integrated Care was proud to launch its first dementia café, at our award winning EachStep Blackley service in North Manchester.

Dementia cafés offer an informal place for people who live with dementia and their loved ones to share their experiences, receive expert advice, and enjoy fun and inspirational activities. In doing so, they help members to develop new peer support relationships and friendships, and better understand how to live independently with the condition.

The EachStep Dementia café, which takes place on the second Wednesday of each month, aims to give people both practical advice as well opportunities to have fun and unwind. Guests at the first session enjoyed an informal presentation on legal issues related to dementia by Hugh Jones Solicitors, as well as a hilarious activity session with Robin Graham, a ‘laughter therapist’ who has worked at Manchester’s Comedy Store.

EachStep’s dementia café is completely free and is open to the entire community. It is led by their specialist dementia team and is supported by volunteers. We have partnered with our friends at the charity Making Space to set up the café, drawing on their expertise of delivering dementia café’s in the local area.

Michelle Phillips, Manager of EachStep Blackley, says, “At EachStep, we’re passionate about making a difference to the lives of people of people who live with dementia and our local community. It is very exciting for us to be able to further this aim by launching our first café.”

She continues, “Every session at our cafe will be fun and different – from learning about ways to live better with dementia, to enjoying performances by musicians and hearing from inspiring local people who have amazing stories to tell. It will become a great place for people who are affected by dementia to have fun, unwind and make friends with people who share their experiences. I’d like to thank Making Space and all of our volunteers and supporters, for helping to make this possible” 

The EachStep Dementia Café takes place on the second Wednesday of each month – 11am-1pm. 

Take a look at our image gallery from the day!