Quick summary
Cheshire East has memory cafés, Singing for the Brain, activity groups and an eight-week carer wellbeing programme run by East Cheshire Hospice. Most are free or low cost. None of them are run by us. Ring before you go, because times and venues change.
Details below were checked in September 2026. Groups move, change day, or pause over the summer, so always phone first.
Start with these two numbers
If you only make one call, make it one of these. Both will tell you what is currently running near you, which is more reliable than any list including this one.
- Alzheimer’s Society in Cheshire: 0300 369 0570, or cheshire@alzheimers.org.uk. They run Singing for the Brain and other groups locally and hold the up to date timetable.
- Dementia Connect support line: 0333 150 3456. National, free, and staffed by advisers who can search local services for you.
Groups in and around Macclesfield
What | Where | When | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
Singing for the Brain | Tytherington Family Worship Church, 57 Sandwich Drive, Macclesfield SK10 2UD | 11am to 12.30pm, 2nd and 4th Thursdays | Alzheimer’s Society in Cheshire, 0300 369 0570 |
ABCD Club, social and activity group | Broken Cross Methodist Church, Chelford Road, Macclesfield | Ring to confirm | Alzheimer’s Society in Cheshire, 0300 369 0570 |
New Horizons Centre, day support | Age UK Cheshire East, Macclesfield | Monday to Friday, full or half days. A charge applies | Age UK Cheshire East |
East Cheshire Hospice, Sunflower Living Well Centre
Worth knowing about even if nobody has mentioned a hospice to you, because these services are for people living with dementia and their carers rather than for end of life care specifically.
- Dementia Carer Wellbeing Programme. A structured eight-week programme for family carers, running three times a year in January, May and September, in Macclesfield, Knutsford, Wilmslow and Congleton.
- Love to Move. Chair-based movement sessions, described by the hospice as brain gymnastics, running in March, July and November across the same towns.
- Community Dementia Companion Service. Companionship and support to keep up interests and social activities, at home or locally.
There are referral criteria, including a confirmed dementia diagnosis. Call 01625 666 990 to talk it through, or complete the hospice’s dementia referral form (East Cheshire Hospice).
Handforth and the north
What | Where | When | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
In Together Handforth | St Mary’s Church, Wilmslow Road, Handforth SK9 3JX | 2pm to 4pm, Thursdays | intogetherwilmslow@gmail.com, or 01625 526479 |
Congleton and the south
Groups run in and around Congleton, Alsager and Holmes Chapel, including day services with lunch. Availability changes, so check the current position through Alzheimer’s Society in Cheshire on 0300 369 0570 or Cheshire East Council’s Live Well directory, which lists activities by area.
The High Peak and Staffordshire
If you live in Buxton, Whaley Bridge, Leek, Biddulph or Kidsgrove, the Cheshire groups above are not your local ones, and the organisations differ.
- Buxton, Harpur Hill, Whaley Bridge and Chapel-en-le-Frith: Dementia Derbyshire and Derby City runs singing and support groups for Derbyshire residents with, or awaiting, a dementia diagnosis. Derbyshire County line, 01332 208845. Call Derbyshire on 01629 533190 can also point you at day services.
- Leek, Biddulph and Kidsgrove: contact Staffordshire Cares on 0300 111 8010, or Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Connect on 0333 150 3456 for what is running locally.
The memory service
For assessment and diagnosis rather than support groups, the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership memory service covers Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Handforth, Bollington, Knutsford, Congleton, Holmes Chapel and the surrounding areas. It offers pre and post-diagnostic support and works with Alzheimer’s Society and Age UK (CWP).
Referrals usually come through a GP. If you are waiting, the support groups above do not require a diagnosis in every case, so it is worth asking rather than assuming you have to wait.
Which type of group is which?
Type | What happens | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
Memory café | Informal, tea and conversation, usually with information available | Both the person and the carer, together. Easiest first step |
Singing for the Brain | Group singing and light movement, based on music therapy principles | People who liked music. No singing ability needed |
Activity or social group | Games, crafts, outings | Someone who wants something to do rather than to talk about dementia |
Carer support group | For the carer, on their own | Carers who need to say things they cannot say in front of the person |
Day service | A full or half day, usually with lunch and a charge | Where the carer needs a proper break, not an hour |
Going for the first time
- Ring ahead and say it is your first visit. Most groups will arrange for someone to meet you at the door.
- Go together. Most groups welcome the person and their carer, and it is easier for both.
- Try twice. A first visit is nearly always uncomfortable. The second usually is not.
- Ask about transport when you ring. Some groups can help, and for the villages this is often the real obstacle.
- Ask about cost. Most are free or a couple of pounds. Day services charge.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a diagnosis to attend?
It varies. Some groups are open to anyone with memory concerns, and hospice services generally require a confirmed diagnosis. Ask when you ring.
Is there a cost?
Alzheimer’s Society groups such as Singing for the Brain are free. Community groups may ask a small amount for refreshments. Day services such as the New Horizons Centre charge a daily rate.
Can carers go on their own?
Yes, and for carer support groups and the hospice’s eight-week programme, that is the point of them.
What if he refuses to go?
Common. It often helps to describe it by what happens rather than by who it is for: a singing morning, or a coffee group, rather than a dementia group. Going together for the first few times helps too.
A group on this list has changed or closed. Can you update it?
Please tell us on 01625 720157 and we will correct it. This page is only useful if it is accurate.
About Visiting Angels Cheshire East
Visiting Angels Cheshire East provides care at home across Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Knutsford, Congleton, Alsager and the surrounding villages of East Cheshire, along with Buxton, Whaley Bridge and the Staffordshire Moorlands towns. None of the groups listed above are ours, and we get nothing from sending you to them.
- Carers trained in dementia, alongside Parkinson’s, stroke recovery and complex care.
- Getting out, not just getting by. Taking someone to a group, and going in with them until they are settled, is a normal part of a visit.
- You see the same faces. Our carer turnover is 12 per cent, against a sector figure of 23.7 per cent (Skills for Care, 2025).
- You choose your caregiver, and meet them before care starts.
- No visit is ever shorter than an hour.
Alan’s wife is supported at home, and this is what he wrote:
“Excellent in every respect. Staff are caring, friendly and helpful. [Our carers] do everything they can to make my wife’s life easier. Management and staff are flexible in their approach and do the unpleasant jobs with a smile and willingness which is commendable. They are always willing to ‘go the extra mile.'”
Alan Hallett, Google review
Not sure what you need yet? Start with a free assessment
Our free home care assessment is a visit at a time that suits you, with no obligation afterwards. In it we will:
- Work out what is actually difficult, and which times of day.
- Talk through a realistic package, and what it would cost.
- Look at the money with you, and point you towards the funding, benefits and grants you may be entitled to.
- Point you at the free groups first, because for a lot of families that is the better next step.
If getting to a group is the problem rather than finding one, call us on 01625 720157. You can also send an enquiry, and you can see what our services cover.
Authored by Dr Haroon Ahmad, Managing Director, Visiting Angels Cheshire East.
Published 27 September 2026. Last updated 27 September 2026.
This listing is provided as general information and the groups are run by other organisations, not by us. We cannot accept responsibility for their content, availability or quality. Times, venues and contact details change, so please confirm directly before travelling. The author is a director of the company and is not acting in a clinical capacity, and Visiting Angels Cheshire East provides personal care at home rather than medical or nursing care. To the fullest extent permitted by law, GB Care at Home Ltd accepts no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this article.
