Capturing the inclusivity of an Age UK dementia group | Discover

A warm welcome

Once the equipment was set up and ready to go, the group started pouring into the room with smiley greetings and beautiful saris. Anamika introduced us to the ladies as Eveben and Timbhai – explaining to us that these endings were added to names as a mark of respect – and immediately made us feel very welcomed by the group.

After the group had worked through some of the session’s exercises, we had a chance to speak to Anamika about her role. “I came because my mum comes… but I found there was a need for interpreting because lots of people did not understand much English. So I volunteered to translate,” Anamika explains.

The sessions use a mix of activities – often ones that prompt group members to reminisce about their childhood and recall stories from their past. Having the sessions translated removes the language barriers and means that the women are able to discuss their lived experiences freely.

“We ask them to talk about their childhood and where they come from,” Anamika tells us, “Most come from India or Kenya, East Africa. And they will come out with all these things about how they used to live their lives there.”

As part of the filming, we also spoke to Anamika’s mum, Savita, about what the group meant to her. “I’m learning different things and meeting different people and socialising,” she tells us. “It’s nice to talk to like-minded people.”

Although we had planned to interview Savita in English, with Anamika translating, it quickly became clear that having Anamika ask her mother the questions in Gujarati would not only help Savita feel as comfortable as possible, but would also encourage more natural responses. During the interview, Savita was completely relaxed in front of the camera – laughing and making jokes between takes. We managed to capture this on film, and her bright laughter is one of my favourite parts of the final video.

Once the session was finished, the group sat down around the table to eat together – as they do each week. But Anamika explained to us that this week was special as it was Diwali soon. She’d brought in some snacks to celebrate, which we were invited to share with the group. They were delicious – so much so that we even picked up some more from a local shop for the journey home.

At such an important time for Gujarati people, the Age UK Tameside MCST group had given the eight women attending an opportunity to come together. It was a privilege to share that moment.