Dancing with dementia at Blackpool Tower to help raise elderly spirits

Dozens of people and their carers were invited to ‘Dancing with Dementia’ in the spectacular surroundings of the ballroom.

The event, which was launched last year with special appearances by Strictly Come Dancing stars Robin Windsor and Kristina Rihanoff, saw the group enjoy an afternoon of ballroom dancing, music and a host of dementia-friendly activities.

Information was also available on the day about dementia services and support as well as details on how to become part of the official Dementia Friends campaign.

A Blackpool Council spokesman said: “We were delighted with how popular the Dancing with Dementia event proved.

“More than 500 attended including many people who deal with dementia on a day-to-day basis. We hope they enjoyed themselves.”

Dr Arif Rajpura, Blackpool Council’s director of public health and chairman of Blackpool Fairness Commission, said: “Dementia is a huge issue on the Fylde coast and in the UK more widely.

“By hosting events like these we want to not only reach out to carers and people with dementia to discuss how to improve their lives but also to the community more widely to discuss how best to approach this growing problem and what we can do to make things better.”

The Alzheimer’s Society runs the Dementia Friends scheme.

A Dementia Friend learns a little bit more about what it’s like to live with dementia and then turns that understanding into action - anyone of any age can be a Dementia Friend.

From helping someone to find the right bus to spreading the word about dementia on social media, every action counts.

For more details visit www.blackpool.gov.uk/dementia