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With an aging population, dementia is now our greatest medical challenge, but research shows that music and dance can be positive tools to combat its effects. A project providing music and dance for North West London elders and those with dementia is being launched by the Ashford Place charity, with support from best-selling author, Elizabeth Buchan. The activities promote well-being and confidence, boost skills and knowledge and give pleasure to both participants and audiences. The charity needs to fundraise for this project. Ashford Place provides solutions for marginalised people, experiencing social isolation, homelessness, mental & physical health, substance misuse & unemployment. Founded in 1983, we support & facilitate positive change for individuals through programmes, such as emergency accommodation for homeless people, housing assistance & advice, on-site GP, drug & alcohol support, therapeutic intervention, social inclusion projects, community building & employment, training & education. We provide activities to enhance the lives of the local community: social (lunches, bingo, outings), educational (IT & digital skills for elders), health (keep fit, information sessions) & cultural (art, music) & a drop-in canteen for local people; we particularly target 200 local elders, who are provided with Health & Wellbeing, social, recreational activities as well as a daily lunch. Provision for people living with dementia include a new peer to peer mentoring service & the De-Café, a regular weekly service, which is funded though trust income & which we want to expand. This caters for 40 people & their family/carers, enabling them to be supported to live well.

The music & dance project is open to all members of the local community whatever their musical or dance experience, both from Ashford Place clients & wider Cricklewood community. The project comprises 3 activities; community choir, music & dance for the Dementia Group. Over half our members are over 70, but we draw in people of a very wide age range, ethnicity & musicianship. One of the project’s main aims is to perform at events & locations in Cricklewood & environs, as well as making musical & social connections between group members. The choir carries out around 15 performance, half in public & half in old people's & dementia centres. The music director & members have a special interest in bringing music to old people, those with dementia, their family & carers. Each term includes performances where songs are selected to fit the audience, who are encouraged to join in. We want to do more singing in the Ashford Place Dementia Group & set up & run a mixed membership dance class.