Dress to Remember - Reimagining Dementia Care Thursday 8th October 11.30am-1.30pm Brent Civic Centre

  

The event will feature:

• A short documentary sharing theproject's experiences and findings
• Interactive discussion exploring dementia care and quality of life
• Opportunities to share ideas and ways forward

 

Celebrate another year of Dress to Remember

 

Come and celebrate the people, stories and experiences at the heart of Dress to Remember. This documentary screening and reflective event will provide an opportunity to hear from those directly involved in the project, and reflect on how community, creativity and collaboration can help reimagine dementia care going forward in service provision – seeing the person, not the diagnosis.

 

Working with two of Brent’s community groups, the project has reimagined familiar experiences including yoga, storytelling, fashion, nature walks, museum and cultural visits. These activities have created opportunities for participation, connection and inclusion. At its heart is intergenerational connections, bringing elders and young people together to share stories, experiences and skills, and learn from one another.

 

A Year of Activities and Experiences

 

This special event will showcase some of the 17 workshops and activities delivered since September 2025, highlighting the experiences, conversations and connections created throughout the project.

The journey builds on the first Dress to Remember Discussion Forum, held at Brent Civic Centre in February 2026 and chaired by Dr John Licorish. The forum brought together voices from health, education, the arts and the community to consider dementia, health inequalities and the importance of community partnerships.

 

Since the forum, the project has taken these discussions into the community, putting ideas about inclusion and participation into practice. Through the workshops and activities, we have explored how familiar experiences can be adapted to help people living with dementia take part in ways that are respectful, enjoyable and meaningful. The activities have also helped build relationships between elders, young people, community organisations and professionals, showing how collaboration can turn discussion into action.

 

Documentary Screening

 

The event will also feature the premiere of Dress to Remember: Reimagining Dementia Care, a 20-minute documentary written and produced by Lorna Holder and edited by Katie Leyden, an NTU London Content graduate. The film takes us on a year-long journey alongside elders living with dementia in Brent, capturing moments of creativity, resilience, joy and human connection across a series of workshops. Through their stories and experiences, it challenges perceptions of dementia and reveals the person beyond the diagnosis. A strong intergenerational thread sees young people working both in front of and behind the camera, bringing their energy, curiosity and creativity to the project.

 

The documentary draws on perspectives from health, education, the arts and the community. It features a dramatic performance by Marsha Millar and reflections on memory and identity from Joseph Marcell. The film explores how culture, creativity and community can help reimagine dementia care, while celebrating memory, dignity and belonging.

 

FREE TICKETS 

BRENT FIGHTING BACK - THEN AND NOW Saturday 17th October & Sunday 18th October 2pm-6pm

 

Early notice for what is likely to be a well attended weekend celebrating and learning from struggles that have taken place in Brent in the past and have important lessons for trade unionists today.

  

Saturday 17th October 2-6pm 

The 1926 General Strike in Brent.

Film: The General Strike in Brent The 1926 General Strike in Brent and the role of local trade unions. • Speakers: Mary Davis. Visiting Professor of Labour History, University of London The General Strike in Brent: Chris Coates, former Librarian at the TUC, researcher in local & trade union history • Panel Discussion: Organising unorganised workers • Poets on the Picket Line 

 

Sunday 17th October 2-6pm 

Celebrating and learning from the Grunwick Strike 1976-78

Film: The Great Grunwick Strike Speakers: Professor Sundari Anitha, co-author "Striking Women: Struggles & Strategies of South Asian Women Workers from Grunwick to Gate Gourmet" Dave Ward Gen Sec. Communication Workers Union • Panel Discussion: Issues facing trades unionists today • Music & songs of struggle. 

 

Venue 

Brent Trades Hall (Apollo Club)

375 High Road

London NW10 2JR

 

Just up the High Road from Willesden Bus Depot and served by many bus routes including 260, 266 and 297. Nearest tube Dollis Hill on the Jubilee line. 

 

 

BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE 

Woodfield strikers vote unanimously for a legal challenge to academy bosses

 

Woodfield school strikers early morning picket in Autumn sunshine today

Woodfield Special school strikers, victims of the imposition of  fire and rehire by their academy bosses, showed they were not finished in their battle today by voting unanimously for a change of strategy.

They will strike for the last time for now on October 1st, the last strike day notified to the management, and take up a legal challenge supported by the National Education Union. This will be based on a claim that the academy management broke the collective bargaining agreement, not in imposing fire and rehire itself, but the way they did it individually rather than through collective bargaining. Each worker will be submitting an ACAS Early Conciliation form.

 

Lucy Cox, Brent NEU Secretary, said that in this way they could return to work proud and united.  She congratulated the strikers on their persistence and solidarity and told them that their struggle provided an example to others that  meant that no other school had dared impose fire and rehire - a strategy that will soon be illegal.

Meanwhile I understand that the HMRC is showing a keen interest in the school's finances. 

MORE THAN 600,000 COUNCIL WORKERS LOST IN ENGLAND AND WALES

 From the GMB

More than 600,000 council workers have been lost in England and Wales since 2012, official figures show. 

According to the Office of National Statistics [1], fourteen years ago there were 1,886,584 people employed by local authorities. 

By 2026, the number had plunged to 1,282,853, a drop of more than 603,000 – more than 30 per cent of the total headcount. 

The East Midlands was the worst hit region, losing 66,000 jobs equating to more than 40 per cent of all workers. [See below for full list of regions and nations]. 

The figures emerge as GMB delegates discuss cuts to local authority budgets at TUC’s annual congress in Brighton this week. 

Region	Headcount 2012	Headcount 2026	Difference	Percentage
East Midlands	155,912	89,612	66,300	43%
South West	169,095	105,679	63,416	38%
Yorkshire and the Humber	2,091,215	1,410,137	681,078	33%
West Midlands	133,974	91,606	42,368	32%
North East	93,596	60,261	33,335	36%
North West	263,187	185,944	77,243	29%
South East	257,518	187,988	69,530	27%
London	214,535	154,036	60,499	28%
East of England	197,837	161,338	36,499	18%
Wales	149,393	127,380	22,013	15%

Will Dalton, GMB National Officer, said: 

Local government workers are absolutely essential for a healthy, thriving country. 

They help our children learn, clear away our rubbish, look after our loved one and keep our green spaces clean. 

To lose more than 30 per cent of them has torn the heart out of our communities and shows the damage austerity did to the country. 

If the Prime Minister wants to make good on his promise to give power and prosperity to every post code, well-funded councils with well paid workers must come first.

Mapesbury Family Bike Day Saturday 19th September 1-4pm St Gabriel's Church

 

TONIGHT: Youth Violence & the Role of Faith Communities - Chalkhill Community Centre 6.30pm - 8pm

 

A TINY youth-powered bookshop for Willesden Green station?

 I spotted this on social media and thought it a project worth sharing if only to bring new life to the much criticised empty units at Willesden Green Station.

The Crowdfunder has already exceed its initial £1,000 target HERE

   

TINY a youth powered bookshop + cultural space at Willesden Green station Books, vinyl, art, fashion, live music, talks, readings, events

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TINY is taking over a tiny vacant unit at Willesden Green Underground Station

Books, vinyl, art and fashion, with a live programme of readings, talks, music, exhibitions & partnership launches.

 

We talked to 70 young people aged 14 to 23 in the borough about what they wanted in their neighbourhood. Books came up, but always alongside music, art, fashion, magazines, conversation and culture.

 

So TINY is youth powered. Young people will shape what we stock, how the space looks, the events, partnerships, social media and cultural programming.

 

TINY is being developed by local residents with a growing group of young people, schools and creative partners.

 

We’re raising our first £1,000 to open the doors. It will cover the basics: shelving, paint, initial stock, fire and electrical safety, a card reader, art materials and set up costs. We’re giving our time for free and sourcing as much as we can through donations

 

 

 

PS apparently there is a newsagent coming to one of the other units

Brent faces up to the urgency of the Climate Emergency

 

 

After the extreme heat and drought of the summer in England and extreme weather including overheating, and floods elsewhere with many lives lost it was appropriate that last night's Full Council had a dual focus on the Climate Emergency.

ACE Brent made a presentation on the need for the Council to involve councillors and residents in the challenge society now faces with an even hotter summer forecast next year and floods predicted this Autumn and Winter. They called for greater accountability through a Climate Emergency Scrutiny Committee and the restoration of  the Climate Champion role carried out by Cllr Mary Mitchell when she was a Labour councillor.

It was Cllr Mitchell who moved the Green Group's motion on  'Addressing Urban Heat and Climate Inequality in Brent'. An attempt to dilute the motion by the Conservatives was defeated, the Greens accepted a Liberal Democrat amendment and the resulting amended motion was supported by Labour.

The full presentation and debate can be viewed in the video above.

After the meeting Elaine Sheppard of ACE said:  

ACE Brent representatives are pleased that the climate emergency finally got more of a hearing in the council chamber last night, with our deputation with our deputation challenging 2 years absence of discussion in the Brent council chamber, and overall lack of accountability despite increasing climate breakdown, and the Green Party motion on urban heat and climate inequality.

 Cllr Mitchell said:

We did it! The first Green Party motion in Brent was carried yesterday, marking a significant step in the Council’s recognition of the climate crisis and the actions we must take to protect residents from extreme heat.

We were delighted to receive support from all parties in the chamber, and thank Brent Green Party members for their support, participation and belief that elected Greens make a difference, no matter how large the group! We also thank the Brent Liberal Democrat group for their amendments that strengthened the motion even further.

No resident in Brent should be put at risk because of where they live, how much access they have to green space or shade, or whether or not they can afford air conditioning.

We must act now.