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Dementia café鈥檚 never ending story
Published: 01/12/2016
A dementia caf茅 in Sealand showcased a Communities First funded project at
their monthly meeting recently.
The intergenerational project run by RMD Memory Matters delivers a 鈥淣ever
Ending Story鈥�, using imagination and reminiscence and works with people living
with dementia, their carers and school children.
Donna Redgrave from RMD- Memory Matters, who has been working with pupils from
Flint High School and Sealand CP School, said:
鈥淩MD 鈥� Memory Matters believes that the arts can significantly help everyone
affected by dementia to live well. They can also be a vehicle to enhance
peoples鈥� awareness and understanding of the condition and bring communities
together. We offer a range of creative services, training and support, for
people living with dementia, their carers and the wider community.
鈥淧upils, teachers and support staff from each school have completed a 鈥淒ementia
Friends鈥� session which introduces them to the challenges of living with
dementia. Following this, a group of students work with me on a 鈥淣ever Ending
Story鈥� session.鈥�
At the recent monthly meeting of the Sealand Dementia Caf茅, pupils from Sealand
CP School came along to share a session of Never Ending Story with people
living with dementia and their carers.
A similar session will be taking place at Flint Memory Caf茅 with Flint High
School pupils on 5 December.
Sealand Dementia Caf茅 has a team of dedicated volunteers but it is mainly run
by local residents and young mums. Hayley Wilson, Chair of the Committee, said:
鈥淭he caf茅 has been running for around five months and there is a real community
team spirit. We are delighted that our hard work is paying off with the
growing success of our caf茅. Id really like to encourage more volunteers and
more people with dementia and their carers to come along to our caf茅 and find
out what a great place it is and, also, what support is on offer. The caf茅 is
open once a month, every 4th Monday, from 1-3pm at St Andrews Community Hub in
Garden City.鈥�
天涯社区s Cabinet Member for Social Services, Councillor
Christine Jones, said:
I鈥檓 delighted that the caf茅 is proving to be a success and it鈥檚 great to get
the involvement of Donna who has been instrumental in getting the word out to a
wider audience and involving several generations in this fantastic project.
Without the funding from Communities First, this may not have been possible.鈥�
Dementia Caf茅s provide a safe, comfortable and supportive environment for
people with dementia and their carers to socialise. Not only that, but at the
recent meeting Richard Benyon, who attends the Sealand Dementia Caf茅 with his
wife, Gill, met up with an old friend he had not seen for 66 years.
Gill said: 鈥淲henever Richard talks about the old days, he always mentions a
childhood friend Peter Sumner, who he was desperate to re-connect with. He
used to go over to Bee鈥檚 Nurseries on the ferry boat which linked England and
Wales, before the footbridge was built, and Peter lived on Thornleigh Farm and
they went to school together until they were eleven. I was amazed to meet
another couple at a recent Dementia Caf茅 session who said they knew a person
called Peter Sumner, so I got in touch with him and it was the same person, so
I invited him along today and here they are. I feel really emotional that
Richard has been able to meet up with such an old friend after so long and it鈥檚
down to this group 鈥� I am so grateful to them all.鈥�
As well offering a range of fun and engaging activities, Dementia Caf茅s give
both carers and people with dementia a chance to get information and advice and
talk to others with similar problems.
For more information about the caf茅, please contact Hayley Wilson at
hayleycj6@gmail.com or call Luke Pickering-Jones at 天涯社区
on 01352 702655.
Richard Benyon (left) and Peter Sumner - together again after 66 years!