Published on: 13th November 2015
New projects that help people with dementia get the most out of life, are set to receive money from a second wave of community funding.
Sixteen organisations and groups have now been successful in securing a share of the £212,000 Dementia Support Fund.
The fund, which was set up by the county’s four Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), and Lincolnshire County Council, aims to support a wide range of activities that help people with dementia, and the people who care for them, to maintain as good a quality of life as possible. It is currently managed by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT), the provider of the region’s specialist mental health and social care services.
This is the second pot of Dementia Support Fund money to be dished out this year. A first wave of funding earlier in the year gave money to ten organisations to provide thirteen different schemes, ranging from a project that is working to establish dementia friendly communities across Lincolnshire, to social and community activity groups.
The new projects are all part of the successful Dementia Support Network and will begin work in January to help people stay active, join in social events, and enjoy participating in art, cooking and other pastimes.
One of the groups that received a slice of money was Dementia Support South Lincs, which runs the twice monthly and imaginatively titled Square Hole Club, an engaging activity group for people with early onset dementia or those in the early stages of the illness.
Memory Health Care Worker Kate Marshall, who helps run the group said:
We run themed events and recently featured one on the railways. One of our members used to work on the railways so we had pictures through the ages and a CD playing with train sounds. The club runs from 10am to 4pm and during that time it gives the carers a bit of respite, which is very important. We also go out for a pub lunch once a month with all the members and their carers.
Associate Director of Community Partnerships at LPFT, Paul Jackman, said:
Lincolnshire already has a nationally recognised network for providing help and support to people who have experience of mental health problems. We have learned from this experience to extend the approach to dementia. We are keen to hear about people’s ideas so that we develop new and imaginative activities for people to try, as well as continue to support the things that people already value. It has been exciting to see the ideas that people have come up with.
More than 2,200 people are expected to directly benefit from the fund and the projects it supports.
To promote the support available in Lincolnshire’s communities for people with dementia, a Dementia Support Showcase event has been organised on Monday 7th December from 2pm to 4pm at the Alive Centre, 22 Newland, Lincoln, LN1 1XD.
If your organisation or voluntary dementia support group would like to book a stall for the day, or for more information about the Dementia Support Network, please contact LPFT’s Community Partnerships Team on (01529) 222223 or dsn@lpft.nhs.uk
The full list of organisations and projects who have managed to secure funding this time around is as follows:
- Age Care Advice Ltd - Dementia Companions
- Alzheimer's Society - Carers' Peer Support Group and Intergenerational Project
- Be A Friend - Be A Friend Dementia Service
- Boston Community Transport - Dementia Friendly Transport
- Dementia Support South Lincs - Square Hole Club, Bourne, and another TBA
- Desire Change - Memory Retreat - Green Wellness Centre
- Foxdale Equine Assisted LEarning - TBA
- Green Synergy - Dementia Friendly Garden Groups
- Keepsake For Life - Sleep Matters
- Lincoln Community Development Worker Project - Dementia Carer's Steps
- Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Services - Keep Healthy, Keep Active with Dementia, and Art and Dementia
- Linkage Community Trust - Wellbeing Club
- Magna Vitae - Feeding Memories
- Spalding Health and Wellbeing - Art and Dementia
- The Vine Community Church - Assist
- Red Dog Film - TBA
