Engaging Older People
Strictly Come Tea Dancing
It is generally recognised that many people are living longer and the average age of the population is getting older. Together with the fact that East Salford is home to some of Salford’s most disadvantaged communities, this introduces particular challenges for us all in developing services to improve the quality of live for an aging population.
In recognition of this, the Strictly Come Tea Dancing project successfully engaged with some of our most vulnerable older residents, and purposely targeted people living in sheltered housing schemes and care homes to ensure everyone irrespective of their circumstances had a chance to get involved in stimulating and interesting activities.
These activities revolved around a series of tea dance sessions held in sheltered housing schemes and care homes across the city, and culminated in a finale event including dancing demonstrations provided by local community groups and a live music session.
With very little money to spend, the project team seized on the popularity of recent dancing competitions on television as a hook to capture people’s imagination and make the project a success. As a result, effective team working and cooperation across everyone involved was of paramount importance.
This included team working not only between the agencies that made up the project team, but also between the sheltered housing schemes and care homes that hosted the dancing sessions. The success of the finale event was also in part due to the sponsorship and cooperation of the East Salford Commuity Committee, Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, and Salix Homes.
The Strictly Come Tea Dancing project was not only a great success for the people involved in the initial tea dances and the 110 people who attended the finale event, but provide to also provide an ideal opportunity to promote the setting up an East Salford Older People Forum. The first forum meeting was held back in July, resulting in the creation of a local arena where older residents can voice their views on what how they think services and the local area should be developed in the future. The Forum in itself also seeks to improve people’s wellbeing through further opportunities to socialise with others, provide mutual support to one another, seek advice, and to act as an advocacy for common needs.
Following very positive reviews from people who took part in the Strictly Come Tea Dancing sessions, those attending the finale event were also treated to a trip down memory lane thanks to the Salford Lifetimes Project who generously donated 1940’s props and memorabilia for the day where attendees had the chance to try on outfits and have their photograph taken by a local volunteer.
The first week in October was a National Celebration of Older People week. The week in Broughton consisted of a craft day, a pamper day (with residents appearing in that evening's Channel M), a quiz culmination, bird box building and a musical extravaganza attended by 115 residents.
On 6 December 120 residents were invited to our 'Santa Spectacular'. They were entertained for three hours, Father Christmas attended and each resident received a gift. Working with the Adult Safeguarding Unit, the event provided a vehicle to highlight abuse amongst older people, each resident received a booklet containing useful information and phone numbers.
With the Forum we are looking at the possibility of a luncheon club and group shopping trips for residents living in Lower Broughton as there is no supermarket in that area.
In February we held a Valentines Dance at Broughton House Home for Ex-Service Personnel funded by Countryside Properties.
If you would like more information on the Strictly Come Tea Dancing project in East Salford, or the Older People’s Forum, please contact the East Salford neighbourhood team.
This page was last updated on 19 November 2008
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