Pub landlady hosts regular dementia meet-ups after seeing mum ‘struggle’ with disease

A Greater Manchester pub landlady holds regular monthly afternoons for customers living with dementia.

Sharon Mattin set up a monthly meet-up and entertainment afternoon for customers with dementia in her pub after her own mother was diagnosed with the disease.

She started the group after noticing she had nowhere to take her mum that offered extra support or that gave her something to do.

Sharon has hosted Forgotten Regulars at the Union Arms in Tyldesley for the last eight years, which invites customers with dementia to come along with a family member or carer and enjoy an afternoon of socialising, free food and live music.

The group also go on day trips out with transport and food provided, organised by Sharon using donations given to the JustGiving page.

Sharon’s mum sadly passed away in 2016, and she has since continued to run the monthly meet-ups, feeling it was the right thing to do.

Growing ever more popular, the group can accommodate up to around 100 people. Sharon said: “I’ve been here for almost 11 years this year. 

“We started the Forgotten Regulars eight years ago when my mother had dementia, and as a family, we were looking after her and there was nowhere to take her for any kind of things that she liked. “

Walking up to the pub, music and laughter could be heard on the street. On entering, the atmosphere was infectious and expressions of joy could be seen on faces as people sat, ate, drank and chatted the afternoon away.

Forgotten Regulars is a completely self-funded club which provides food, entertainment and day trips out using kind donations.

Next month, Sharon and the group will be going on a trip to Blackpool Tower for some ballroom dancing and afternoon tea. She says the music helps people living with dementia to remember a time in their lives before they had disease.

One lady told me how she drives 40 minutes to bring her dad, who was diagnosed with dementia just last year. She said she could see the difference and positive impact it made to his life.

A delicious looking hot dinner of sausages, mashed potato, mushy peas and gravy was being served and the customers were having choc ices for dessert to help them cool down in the summer heatwave.

Birthday cake was also saved for later as Sharon said she and the group celebrate everyone’s birthday, including other special occasions.

About what else they do on a usual catch up, Sharon said: “We just dance and enjoy ourselves and make sure nobody’s got any problems. If they’ve got problems we try to help them with them with the councils and social workers, and we’re just one big happy family at the minute. 

“Just all doing our little bit to help them and make life a little bit easier for them, and their carers and their families.”

On why the Forgotten Regulars means so much to her and her customers with dementia, Sharon said: “A lot of these people are isolated, so coming here, it helps the carers, the husbands, the wives, the daughters, the sons and it also helps the person suffering with dementia. 

“Because, for a couple of hours it just takes them right back to the days when they could remember, before dementia robbed them of their memory. So, doing this, for me, is just so rewarding.

“To just see these people for that short space of time. Just to see how different they are from when they walk in, to when they leave. It’s a very rewarding thing to do and I would encourage anybody to try and do your bit to help.”

Forgotten Regulars is held once a month at the Union Arms in Tyldesley. You can make a donation to the Forgotten Regulars by visiting the group’s JustGiving page.