Beside the Seaside: Belong Wigan Goes Coast to Coast

Beside the Seaside: Belong Wigan Goes Coast to Coast

Seaside holiday memories of the past have become a thing of the present this summer, with customers of Belong Wigan enjoying trips to the coast to revel in welcome sunshine, see the sights, and spend quality time with friends whilst reminiscing about visits from yesteryear.

The adventurous excursions, organised by the dementia specialist’s dedicated experiences team, have seen its residents and tenants touring some of the North West’s postcard picture-perfect holiday favourites.

Fun-filled days at Blackpool featured strolls down the famous Golden Mile prom to see the Blackpool Tower and linger in the amusement arcades. Ringside seats were taken for thrills and belly laughs aplenty at the famous circus, after which came magical rides through the town to be dazzled by its legendary bright light illuminations.

For one attendee, the visit proved to be an extra special occasion. Elaine Jones, 82, apartment tenant at Belong Wigan said: “I loved it. I’ve never been to a circus before, and we were right on the front row – it was brilliant!”

In other outings, exploring the charming Merseyside town of Southport, buckets and spades made for the order of the day at the beach before exploring museums, galleries and Princes Park, the latter featuring live entertainment on show at Marine Lake. Days were made complete with fish and chips suppers on the pier. One of the trips was made possible by a generous donation from the family of late resident, Marjorie.

Charlene Frodsham, experience coordinator at Belong Wigan, shares more: “We’ve had so much fun touring some amazing sights with our customers, this summer. The sun has been shining, seagulls have been singing – as have our holidayers!”

The visits form part of Belong Wigan’s experiences programme for its customers and members of the wider community, featuring a number of varied and vibrant activities designed to support participants in meaningful occupation in line with their interests. Recent highlights include hosting its own Olympics, welcoming live entertainers, and taking part in Wigan Pride.

Charlene added: “These seaside towns hold treasured memories for many of our customers and so they’ve delighted in returning to past holiday destinations and sharing their personal stories of time gone by whilst getting the chance to see how things have changed. We can’t wait for next year, bring on summer 2025!”

Pictured: Belong Wigan residents and tenants enjoy Blackpool Tower