To mark this year’s Dementia Awareness Week (14th – 20th May), staff and customers took part in a range of activities aimed at promoting awareness of the disease and raising money for charity.
Keen to involve customers at our sheltered schemes, we provided residents with the opportunity to create a memory board. Three schemes in High Wycombe took part (Edgewood, Barrowcroft and Havenfield) and shared some lovely photos and recollections from the past. Activities like creating memory boards can help tackle dementia by bringing people together to share in an activity, talk about their lives and recall past experiences. Edgewood resident Alice said she enjoyed contributing to their memory board as “it was nice to look back”. To thank everyone for their efforts, we will be providing a hamper of goodies to each of the participating schemes. We also enjoyed creating our own memory board in the office (pictured), featuring photos and stories of family and friends.
During Dementia Awareness Week, over 50 of our staff took part in ‘Dementia Friends’ workshops held by a volunteer from the Alzheimer’s Society, to learn more about dementia, how it can affect people and how we can become a more dementia friendly organisation. Amy How, Engagement and Events Co-ordinator at Red Kite, signed up to be a Dementia Friend and found the experience really worthwhile. “The workshop was fantastic. I’ve learned so much more about the disease and how I can make a valuable contribution to helping people with dementia.”
To raise money for The Alzheimer’s Society, we held an Old-Fashioned Bake Sale at our offices during Dementia Awareness Week (see above), selling a variety of cakes, puddings and childhood sweet treats, combined with a retro/vintage dress up day for staff on Friday 19th May. To find out more about dementia, visit The Alzheimer's Society website or call their helpline on 0300 222 11 22.