Recognising that there was a growing need to support people living with dementia, Holmes Chapel Partnership took on the project of making Holmes Chapel a Dementia Friendly Community.
The village project was launched by Holmes Chapel Methodist Church with a Memory Café in September 2017 and the project gained its Dementia Friendly Community status from the Alzheimers Society in March 2018.
The aim of a dementia friendly community is described as a community where people with dementia are understood, respected and supported, and confident they can contribute to community life.
This is our aim but in fact whilst working towards this we will be making Holmes Chapel an even more caring and welcoming place for all our residents and visitors.
The project included:
The Methodist Church set up and continue to run memory cafes every fortnight.
Two members of Holmes Chapel Partnership trained to become Dementia Champions to enable them to speak to residents, organisations and businesses to encourage them to become a ‘friend of dementia’.
Over 200 residents attended a talk to understand a little more about dementia and become a ‘friend of dementia’.
Several organisations invited one of the Champions to speak to them about the project and in some cases to make their members friends of dementia.
Local businesses to enrolled in the project making their staff friends of dementia and making small changes/additions to their premises to make them dementia friendly. Look out for the Dementia friendly logos on their doors.
The Comprehensive School and the Hermitage Primary School are worked with the Partnership on this project either with curriculum activities, inviting those living with dementia to their musical concerts or making their staff friends of dementia.
A Cub Scout and a Girl Guide unit were the first of the uniformed organisations to invite a Dementia Champion to give a dementia friend talk aimed at Key Stage 1 and 2 age groups.
Dementia Action Week in May was launched with the opening of the Sensory Garden and acknowledged by social fund raising events for our community with the magnificent result of Holmes Chapel sending over £3000 to the Alzheimers Society.
Our continuing aim:
To encourage more residents to become a Friend of Dementia. Our Dementia Champions will come and talk to a family, a small group of friends or work colleagues.
To encourage organisations to invite a Dementia Champion as one of their speakers.
To encourage all businesses to enrol on the project.
To encourage the management of venues used by members of our community to take small steps to make their buildings and staff dementia friendly.
To encourage schools and youth organisations to invite a Dementia Champion to make our young people more aware of how they can become a Friend of Dementia.
Living with Dementia - Videos The Alzheimer's Society have produced an excellent, short video, Small changes make a Dementia Friendly Community, to highlight what it is like to Live with Dementia. The video can be viewed here. Another excellent video produced by SURF Liverpool,Small changes - a wealth of difference, can be viewed here.
More Information / Contact Us There is plenty of useful and informative information about Dementia at the Alzheimer's Society web page: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/
