Together Dementia Support (TDS) is a registered charity. We support people living with dementia and their families and carers in Manchester and Trafford. We work with anyone presenting with the cognitive issues associated with dementia, even if they do not yet have a diagnosis. There are over 5,000 people living with dementia in Manchester (and over 2,000 in Trafford) and numbers are predicted to rise over the next 20 years.

We provide opportunities to get out and enjoy stimulating activities that improve the physical and emotional wellbeing of people living with dementia, and boost self-esteem. We also provide individualized information and advice to carers as dementia is a complex condition to deal with. We encourage carers to access the peer support and therapeutic activities that allow them to take care of themselves.

By involving people in supportive social networks, and informing them about dementia and the services that can help, we reduce isolation, improve wellbeing and reduce reliance on statutory services, often enabling people to stay living at home for longer.

We create opportunities and support people living with dementia to contribute to research, evaluation and awareness- raising, resulting in improved provision and increases in peoples’ self-esteem and confidence. This approach leads to innovative service development with people living with dementia at the heart.

As a small charity, this provides an opportunity to develop and demonstrate what high quality person-centred services look like, and the impact they have. By disseminating information, and enabling people living with dementia to live well, and share their experiences through campaigning and creativity, we tackle stigma and improve everybody’s experience of dementia. The need for our work grows constantly as people live longer, but with a dementia and co-morbidities, and without any significant Government investment in social care.