We Love MCR Charity awarded this community group support from our Stronger Communities Fund in January 2022.
Peter Quinn Friendship Group Dementia Support (PQFG) are a volunteer-led community group based on Crowcroft Road in Longsight.
Their members come from across South Manchester, mainly Burnage, Ladybarn, Fallowfield, Levenshulme and Gorton. They offer support and activities for anyone in these communities affected by dementia or other cognitive changes.
PFQG host interactive Dementia Support sessions every Wednesday for their service users, 50% of which have dementia, and they encourage anyone to attend. They and their volunteers keep up this fantastic work in order to reduce the feelings of isolation that many of their attendees can experience given their age and cognitive function.
PQFG tell us the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic only worsened the pre-existing isolation experienced by their members, highlighting that before the pandemic they used to have up to 70 people attending each week but in August 2021 they saw just 27.
What are We Love MCR funding?
PQFG applied to our Stronger Communities Fund to support the provision of music in their Dementia Support sessions, with the intent to encourage their members to get out of the house and enjoy social activities in a group setting. They told us that attending their group every week keeps routines, engages services users, and helps them be part of a community.
They run their free sessions with a light lunch, bingo, raffle and a quiz but, most importantly, live singers. As you can see from the video below, the attendees love their live music! The benefits of music to people living with dementia are well-known, with NHS England saying:
“It can help reduce anxiety and depression, help maintain speech and language, enhances quality of life and has a positive impact on carers.”
We funded PQFG with an award of £5,000 from our Stronger Communities Fund to ensure their incredible bunch of volunteers can bring in live music for their members each week for an entire year!
Marion Quinn, Founder of PQFG, said on receiving the award:
“Thank you to We Love MCR Charity for helping us secure funding for our live music. We find live music impacts people so much we couldn't run without it. People's faces light up when the music starts and they instantly want to dance and forget about all their aches and pains. This funding is extremely important to us and guarantees we can open every single week.”
Photos of their Dementia Support sessions speak for themselves - special mention to our Chair of Trustees, Lord Mayor Cllr Tommy Judge, who can be seen below dancing at their 5th Birthday celebrations!
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