Cheltenham Dementia Action Alliance
Chair name: Jackie Chelin
What are we doing?
- Growing our network and forging connections (see case study below)
- Supporting members with funding bids
- Promoting projects and regular activities that support people living with dementia in Cheltenham locations, e.g. Creative Age, Carers Course
- Running events during Dementia Action Week
- Organising an annual Dementia Action Day.
Who we are?
Cheltenham DAA currently has around 50 members, half of whom actively attend meetings and get involved.
Meetings are held on a quarterly basis usually at a different location each time, e.g. care home, community space.
Please contact us for the next meeting location.
Next Meeting?
Our next meetings are to be held at the following dates/times, and are usually held in person
- Thursday 22nd October 2026 at 5pm
- Tuesday 19th January 2027 at 2pm
- Wednesday 14th April 2027 at 2pm
- Monday 5th July 2027 at 5pm
Contact Us
For more information about our Alliance please telephone Jackie Chelin on 07572 057363 [Please leave a message if no response] or send an email to cllr.jackie.chelin@cheltenham.gov.uk
Upcoming Events
Carers course on Oct 27th 1-4 pm see poster below.
Dementia Action Day on Sept 13th 10.30-1.30 pm
Following the success of the previous ‘Action Days’, we are combining information sharing about support for dementia with crafting activities and dancers! Everyone welcome!
Drop in anytime – FREE ENTRY more info on below poster
Case study of the making of the Carers Course
Following an accident at home in October 2024 Liz and her mum became carers for her dad, Ted. Over the following months, her father was diagnosed with Mixed Dementia and Liz reached out to Managing Memory Together in order to find out what volunteering opportunities there might be in Gloucestershire. MMT suggested she join the Cheltenham Dementia Action Alliance (CDAA) and she attended her first meeting in July 2025. Deciding that she needed to update her first aid and manual handling skills, Liz began trying to find a local course that would teach her both. She soon realised that none existed.
During her research, Liz spoke to Alan Hook, the owner of Zone Safety Training, a Cheltenham-based first aid company run by emergency responders. Alan offered to create a bespoke course that could cover not only the basics of first aid but provide safe manual handling techniques and perhaps even offer some mental health training. Sensing a fantastic opportunity to align with the local dementia community, Liz brought Alan to the next CDAA meeting in October to discuss next steps. It was decided a course for around 15 people could be created – run by two trainers during an afternoon. It would be a template of sorts, aimed initially at dementia carers, but with the potential of being reframed for all carers going forward.
A small sub group of the CDAA met with Alan to discuss course content. Alan also introduced the team to Harriet Gallagher, an NHS trained occupational therapist who also runs her own OT company called Huuman. A three hour ‘Carers Course’ was ultimately designed and a pilot course organised for February 2026. Members of the CDAA promoted it widely, until 14 people (the agreed optimal number) were confirmed.
It had been decided that the course’s location would need to be able to cater for any loved ones that carers couldn’t leave at home and CDAA member Whittington House offered their care home – hosting the loved ones in their lounge, aided by CDAA member, Radis Community Care. Leaflets and information were also shared during the course and time set aside for networking with the various local agency representatives who were also in attendance.
Liz spoke to each attendee before the course, ensuring the course was targeted to their specific needs, as well as evaluating it afterwards to highlight any lessons learned. The course was a success and plans began for another one which was run at Badgeworth Court Care Home in June. In the meantime, the sub group met again to discuss the constructive feedback from the first session and to fine tune it – culminating in Sarah Davies from Managing Memory Together agreeing to lead on the dementia content for the course. In April, Liz attended the Care Show in Birmingham where she made a variety of useful connections, including suppliers of adaptive equipment and nutrition aids. Samples of the equipment and nutritional food were then put on display at the June course, along with more leaflets and brochures, all offered to the attendees with a goodie bag to take home.
The fee for the course was set at £20. Age UK Gloucestershire kindly offered to fund any of the costs for people unable to afford the course and the travel. In order to ensure the course could be financially sustainable, funding was sought from Gloucestershire County Council’s Grassroots Neighbourhood fund – a scheme that aims to deliver funding to community initiatives which seek to make a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of local communities. Following a meeting with one of the county councillors to request permission to bid for funding, and to get his agreement to support the bid, funding of £2,000 has recently been approved. This has unlocked the possibility, not just of running more of the same course, but seeking to develop it further.
