A couple from Huntingdon are experiencing the benefits of the Love to Move programme after attending local community sessions.

Derek and Margaret have been using the Love to Move programme for the past year.

Derek had suffered from a stroke and Margaret developed dementia. Their son and daughter have been taking them to and from the sessions which is open to a large group from the community.

Derek has recovered well from the stroke and now cares for Margaret. He has formed great friendships with other participants from the class and has found the experience very rewarding as he has been able to open up to other carers in the group and share experiences with them. The classes have also helped increase Derek’s confidence as he was previously someone who found it hard to join in, but now, he is fully engaged in the class.

Margaret is also growing in confidence and week after week, she is gaining more enjoyment from the classes. She feels empowered from the experience and she particularly enjoy singing in the sessions and talking about memories.

Margaret says; “I do it for myself and my body and I like the people.”

Both their son and daughter feel their parents have benefitted massively from the Love to Move classes as they are more engaged and interested in life around them.

As a result of their participation, Derek and Margaret have formed close bonds with other members of the group. This positive engagement is one of the big benefits from the programme as it helps to reduce loneliness.

To find out more about the Love to Move programme, click here.

This week is Dementia Action Week and we are pleased to announce some exciting updates for Love to Move, our dementia friendly cognitive enhancement seated gymnastics programme.

The aim of our Love to Move programme is to positively affect the lives of older people, including people living with dementia, together with the lives of their carers and loved ones.

The impact of the Love to Move pilot programme has been evaluated by Age UK and they found the programme had a ‘demonstrable benefit in the physical, emotional and cognitive aspects of older people. Older people having mild to advanced forms of dementia appear to benefit the most.’*

As a result of this insight, further research into the programme is to be commissioned over the next two years to gain more understanding of the impact it is having on the participants and their carers as the sessions evolve across the country.

We are also delighted to announce that Louise Roberts has been appointed as our new Head of Programmes, bringing over 22 years’ experience working in sport development including 20 years at British Gymnastics in roles such as Head of Development, Strategy and Insight, and Governance and Standards.

Louise says; “I have been overwhelmed since I started in this role by the sessions I have seen and the stories I have heard about the incredible impact the Love to Move programme is having on people living with dementia and their quality of life. I feel a great sense of responsibility to make sure that this little piece of magic reaches as many people as possible across the UK.”

Over the last six months, Love to Move has been rolled out across the UK and is now being delivered in over 20 care homes and community settings. This is expected to rise to over 70 during the next couple of months.

We have recently been running pilot courses for Love to Move deliverers and so far, we have run four courses to over 50 learners. Three further courses will run during the summer of 2019 with a view to launching the finished course in the Autumn.

If you are interested in supporting the delivery of the Love to Move programme, please email [email protected].

*Vinal Karania, Research manager (Evaluation and Impact), Age UK