New Project Launched To Support People With Dementia In North Wales

A new service to help people with dementia across North Wales and allow their carers feel more supported has recently launched in Wrexham.

The ‘Life Not Just A Service’ project was launched on Friday November 22 allows those with dementia and their carers to enjoy a full and active life through activities including art, drama, and photography.

Alzheimer’s Society will run the project across Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire, Conwy, Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey, after being awarded over £720,000 from the Big Lottery Fund.

The project will be delivered through a programme of adult community learning opportunities including art, drama, patchwork quilting, family history, and photography – to name but a few. Each course will run for six weeks, with the weekly session operating for three hours in locations across North Wales.

The new funding is one of three Big Lottery projects secured in the last 18 months for Alzheimer’s Society in Wales, totalling £2.75m (£2,750,000).

The advocacy and befriending services, funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s AdvantAGE programme, were officially launched in July 2012 and have since helped to support people across Wales who are living with all forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

Jacky Baldini, Operations Manager for Alzheimer’s Society in North Wales said: ‘There are estimated to be over 44,500 people with dementia in Wales and as the population ages, we all face the risk of one day developing the condition. Through our new project ‘Life Not Just a Service’ we aim to reach out and offer a range of learning opportunities to those who may not have otherwise been able to access our support services.

‘People with dementia and their carers can often experience feelings of loneliness and isolation, especially in the more rural parts of Wales. Alzheimer’s Society is committed to reaching out to all people with dementia and their carers in order to help them and support them to live well with dementia now and in the future.

‘We hope that the new ‘Life Not Just a Service’ will increase public awareness of dementia and give people a better understanding of the condition; reducing the stigma. We also hope that the project will create a sense of community spirit where people with dementia can be active citizens.

‘We are delighted that thanks to the generous support of the Big Lottery Fund, we can bring these much needed services to Wales.’

The celebratory event included a verbatim monologue performed by Glyndŵr University graduate Amy Townsend. The monologue was taken from ‘Open Voices’, a play about dementia, produced by Theatre, Television and Performance students from Glyndŵr University and first performed during Dementia Awareness Week™ (19 – 25 May 2013). Speaking about the play when it was first performed Sarah Rochira, Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, said: ‘Giving a voice back to people living with dementia and those who care for them is just so important and the performance did this very well.’

To find out more about Alzheimer’s Society services in North Wales please telephone 01352 700462, email [email protected] visit alzheimers.org.uk/localinformation