The Goat’s Gate in Whitefield Manchester, Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Group

Valerie Watts, the landlady at The Goat’s Gate in Whitefield, runs a weekly dementia and Alzheimer’s club providing crucial support to individuals facing their personal challenges. Every week, around 50 people turn up and get involved with a variety of activities, arts,  crafts, and music sessions to name a few. All these named activities not only provide joy and excitement, they can actually have health benefits, helping people to unlock memories which boosts moral and sparks brain functionality.

Not only does this help with the side effects of both illnesses, it also helps combat loneliness which is an ever increasing problem with the older generation. This amazing story got picked up by ITV News, with a 2 minute clip on the group’s recent festive party shown here.

Val’s inspiration for the support stems from her personal journey after her mum was sadly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years ago. Witnessing first-hand the lonely reality of the illness and the effect it has on families, Val soon realised they were not alone and saw the need for this support group to help others going through the same struggle. Not only do they support the sufferers, the sessions extend to their carers who are invited to have some fun and get involved, “We`re here as much for the carers as the sufferers. If you need to laugh, cry, or let off steam, we`re here for each other.

You can read a full interview with Val on The Bury Times here, where she expresses, “Alzheimer`s is a terrible and distressing illness. This group is one way to help ease some of that distress and provide a comforting presence and peace of mind.”

According to the NHS, “1 in 11 people over the age of 65 have Dementia”, with numbers like this ever increasing, now is the time to seek help if you or someone you know is struggling with this illness.

To explore this further or to find out more information on the group, please visit The Goat’s Gate’s page here, where you can contact the pub directly for any queries. Together we can all build a united community, extending a warm hand to those affected by dementia and Alzheimer’s.