Our celebration of happiness

Planning for this event started in September of last year where we spoke to our services about what they wanted their event to look like and it turns out we all want the same thing - to be happier.

As a charity, we have seen people at their lowest. However, we also have the fortune to be able support these same people to become stronger, happier individuals. Happiness isn’t something which is a given and it shouldn’t be seen as the end goal. Instead we should look for the small pieces of happiness in our daily lives and work to change our idea of what happiness means to us.

Our celebration of happiness was designed to teach our guests ways to improve their own happiness and to inspire them to start making the changes they needed to for them to be able to take their happiness into their own hands.

The big day

As our guests walked into the beautiful and awe-inspiring venue they were greeted by a wall of sound coming from the world famous Wurlitzer, getting everyone excited for what was set to be a day of fun and laughter.

The event was launched by our CEO, Rachel Peacock, who spoke about why happiness was important to her and how the incredible Dolly Parton has been a source of inspiration for her whole family.

The link between singing and happiness have been proven by science, however, it doesn’t take a scientist to tell you that belting out classics from The Beatles makes you feel good. Which is why we invited One Voice to teach our guests how to sing Get By With A Little Help From My Friends.

There’s no way we could visit Blackpool Tower Ballroom and not hit the dancefloor so we we’re lucky to have 4 fantastic dancers not only show us how the professionals do it, but to also teach us some salsa moves. It’s so important to look after our bodies, as well as our minds, which is why dancing is such a brilliant way of exercising.

Action for Happiness is a charity whose main goal is to improve happiness globally. We were fortunate enough to have Vanessa King, the author of 10 Keys to Happier Living, come and speak to us about the science behind how we can be happier in our lives. Happiness can be improved by making small changes, one of which is to focus on the good things that have happened in our days.

Another way to improve our happiness is to be aware of the brilliant things people are doing around us, and congratulating them for them, which is why we feel it’s important to have awards celebrating the incredible achievements of the people who use our services and our volunteers. Our awards, based on our values, show that we have individual ideas of what success means to us, but as long as we work hard and stay true to ourselves, we can achieve wonderful things.

Congratulations to this year’s winners

Integrity
Julie Hill, Derbyshire Dementia Support

Collaboration
Alvaston Infant School and Derby City Dementia Support volunteers

Excellence
David Monks, Waterhouse Court, Leigh
Paul Sankey, Sherdley Court

Knowledge
Jamie Samuels, Marine Road

Respect
Bunty Watson, Clara Street

Our stalls

On top of all the fantastic main event activities, we had stalls open throughout the day so there was always something to get involved with. All our stalls had a focus on one of the 10 keys of happier living. People were able to decorate a card to give to someone who has helped them through a difficult time and shared photos of what made them happy.

We encouraged people to be more mindful of their surroundings by reading up on the history of the venue at our stall ran by our Blackpool services and to plan for the future by creating a care-in-the-box to be prepared for the difficult times. Giving to others is a great way to help us boost our own happiness, which is why we were thrilled to use our celebration of happiness to launch our fundraising team.

The guys from Oomph! paid us a visit to show us exercise can be fun and The Happiness Club taught us about the importance of gratitude. We all need to take a step back sometimes, especially those who may have sensory sensitivities. Our relaxation zone provided a space for people to take some time out where they could enjoy a nice massage from Take A Breather With Chris or do some mindful colouring-in, all while overlooking the sea.

Thank you!

We would like to thank everyone who took the time to come to Blackpool, and who opened themselves up to be happier individuals. Another huge thank you to all our fabulous volunteers who helped our event run smoothly and to all our employees who supported people on the day.