Dementia Awareness Week starts next Monday and there are a number of initiatives taking place across our diocese to mark this: Here are just a few:
The Mothers' Union Council meeting at St Chad's Headingley on Saturday 20 May
Lynne Tembey, Worldwide President of Mothers' Union is speaking in the morning. In the afternoon Anita Ruckledge MBE, Dementia lead nurse at Pinderfields Hospital (Mid Yorks NHS trust) is the speaker. Mothers’ Union members across the diocese are making twiddlemuffs and similar items for people with dementia and they are used in hospital wards and nursing homes. MU has worked closely with nursing staff At Pinderfields.
Circle of hands round Wakefield Cathedral for Dementia Week
Bishop Tony Robinson has first hand experience of the disease in his own family and has asked all organisations working to be dementia friendly to link hands round the Wakefield Cathedral on Wed 17 May at 1pm as part of the the latest national campaign by the Alzheimers Society for Dementia Awareness Week.
There wil be a quiet area inside the Cathedral for anyone wanting to light a candle for those and their families living with the disease and there will be display stands to promote awareness by different partner agencies and a Dementia Friends Awareness Session in one of the side chapels for anyone who wants to attend.
The event will run from 1 to 3pm.
Read the story in full here: http://www.leeds.anglican.org/news/circle-hands-round-wakefield-cathedral-dementia-awareness
St Barnabas Church, Alwoodley On Friday 19th May at 2.15pm we will be having a Special Short Songs of Praise service followed by tea and cake. This is for anyone who would find difficulty attending a full Sunday service and is especially suitable for those with memory loss. We organise these services jointly with Alwoodley Park Methodist Church, alternating between the two churches. This is the second year we have had a Songs of Praise Service having started with a Special Short Service at Christmas and at Harvest time.
St James, Chapelthorpe, Wakefield
Dementia Friendly service on Tues 16 May from 2-2.30pm
A service of traditional hymns and prayers for anyone whose lives have been touched by dementia. The service will will last no more than 30 minutes. Afterwards people are invited to share some fellowship with free tea and coffee.
St John the Evangelist church in Farsley run the Sunflower Memory Café every third Saturday in the month for people with dementia. It has been running for a year and the next café will be on May 20th. Everyone is welcome.
St Bartholomew’s, Ripponden opened its new Riverside café yesterday– May 10th .
It will run on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, from 1.30 until 3.30pm and will welcome people with dementia, and their carers, Parkinson’s and similar conditions or those who are just lonel and will include family fun events, stalls, information, drop-in sessions with partner organizations, local services and support groups. Advice and information will also be available for carers.
People can just turn up but if more information is required, please contact Kathleen on 01422 823441
St Edmund’s Roundhay opened its dementia friendly community café in April 2016. The Tea Cosy Café will be a place where people with dementia are made welcome and will feel cared for. And provides a comfortable and supportive environment for people with dementia and their carers to socialise.
The café will be open on the first Wednesday of the month from 11am-1.30pm and will provide tea, coffee and a light lunch. If you can help in any way, contact Bridget Hawkins, 07518 045133, Ted Fairfax on 0113 225 0510 or Jackie Treetops on 0113 237 0474.
The Tea Cosy Memory Café in Rothwell celebrated its fifth birthday last October, pictured left with Bishop Paul. For five years it's been providing a place where people can socialize with others who understand their experiences.
The Revd Jeremy Trigg, Team Rector of Rothwell & District Team Ministry, said, “We meet on the first Saturday of the month and around 120 people come.
“It all began with Peter Smith who worked for the Alzheimer's society and wanted to start a café for dementia sufferers and their carers. The church provides the parish centre free of charge and there’s an ever increasing team of volunteers. A number of organizations have visited us and formed similar cafés around Leeds.