Supporter emails – September 2021

Thanks so much to Shakti for running a Neal’s Yard online fundraising party for us – we raised £114 which pays for 5 MP3 players which bring so much joy to people living with dementia.. Two of our participants won £25 gift vouchers too.

September is a busy month for us:

It’s our Happy Days gathering at Alive’s Dementia Friendly Allotment on Friday 2-4pm. Yet another cream tea!
 We have a Young Onset Dementia pilot group at Alive’s Dementia Friendly Allotment on 16th September 1.30pm-3.30pm. We hope this will be there first of many. Bookings are live now for the all events at the allotment – follow the link above.

Alive also has a dedicated page to subscribe to general community sessions at the allotment. They are also hosting this miniature garden event which sounds lovely as well as starting intergenerational events with home educated children. They are also part of the Get Growing Garden Trail this year and have an open session on Sunday 19th September from 12 noon-4pm to chat about the allotment and the sessions they are offering. There will be tea and cake, of course!

It’s our AGM on 23rd September – more details to follow next week. We are going to have a fundraising auction on the night – if anyone has any items you could offer us, please let us know on office@bdaa.org.uk. 

We have an in-person Young Onset Dementia Focus Group meeting on Tuesday September 28th 7pm to 9pm and then on Wednesday 27th October 2.30pm to 4.30pm. These are held at The Queens Head, Hanham.

The Purple Angel Campaign provides free MP3 players for people living with Dementia throughout the UK. Norrms has sent us this lovely video of a lady enjoying her MP3 player.
Sadly, Ann, the wife of Steve who programmes these players has just died following a short illness – so please bear with us if you have requested an MP3 player.
If you would like to volunteer to help programme the players, post them out and oversee some of the accounts please contact Norrms on norrms@gmail.com. Each MP3 needs around 15 tracks added – each person provides their own personal list of song title and artist. 

We ran a Dementia Awareness workshop at St Stephen’s, Soundwell on Tuesday night. We love these free workshops as we can help groups work together to gain clarity on how to support people with dementia and their carers. If this would support your organisation please email us on office@bdaa.org.uk to discuss how we can help you.

Date for your diary – our next Dementia Friendly Church webinar is on Tuesday 5th October 10-11.30am. 

This BRACE Dementia and Perceptions online event on 15th September 2-3pm sounds good.

Great to read that Home Instead’s film club is back on at Henleaze and Downend.

Thank you to Winsome from South Glos DAA for this leaflet about the new Age UK Memory Connections service.
We’ve also received this information about the new service:
Memory Connections is a new group that uses Maintenance Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (MCST) to support older people living in Bristol with mild to moderate dementia.
MCST is a weekly one to two-hour long programme developed to support and improve memory skills for people living with mild to moderate dementia. It is the only non-drug treatment recommended to improve cognition, independence and well-being by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
We will be running two groups each week.  The groups provide a supportive environment where people can take part in fun activities and build new friendships. Group members will be able to take part in meaningful and stimulating activities, proven to help maintain memory and mental functioning.

Face-to-Face
A face-to-face group will meet on Mondays from 10am-12pm. We are meeting in Bristol city centre at the New Room, John Wesley Chapel, Horsefair, BS1 3HB. At the same time as the face-to-face group, there will be a space for carers to also meet if they wish. Carers are welcome to stay and have a cup of tea and a chat. Face-to-face sessions will cost £25, £8 for those on pension credit. 

Online
An online group will meet on Tuesdays from 10am-11am. The group will be held over Zoom. Support is available if people would like to join the online group but don’t have a device, internet connection and/or the skills to use Zoom. So, please ask us for support if you don’t feel confident joining online. Online sessions will cost £15, £5 for those on pension credit. 

Example group activities include:

• discussions
• word games
• quizzes
• physical activities
• creative and musical activities.

How to Join
To refer yourself or someone else to Memory Connections, please complete the referral form and email to MCST@ageukbristol.org.uk.
There is also an online referral form on  https://www.ageuk.org.uk/bristol/our-services/mcst/#

We’ve signed up for this Dying Matters webinar on 9th September at 3pm. Author Kate Mosse talks about her new book An Extra Pair of Hands and her experience of caring for her elderly parents and mother in law: about small everyday acts of tenderness, and finding joy in times of crisis.

Thanks to BOPF for these reports:
BOPF Life Under Lockdown in Bristol
This is the second of three BOPF Life Under Lockdown surveys and focusses on the period from November 2020 – January 2021. 

How Have Care Homes in Bristol Been Affected by COVID-19?
The Care Homes report by our partner project, Alive Activities, looks at the issues for Care Home staff and residents, and covers the pandemic from the onset in March 2020.Bristol City Council has an open consultation until 26th September. A chance to have your say for the future.

Here is the latest Alzheimer’s Society newsletter, Dementia Voice newsletter, We Care Home Improvements newsletter, Carers Support Centre  courses and workshop newsletter and CASS Bristol South newsletter.

Happy Days has a great sunny day for a cream tea at Alive’s Dementia Friendly Allotment on Friday. You can see the pictures here.
 We have a Young Onset Dementia pilot group at Alive’s Dementia Friendly Allotment on 16th September 1.30pm-3.30pm. We hope this will be there first of many. Bookings are live now for the all events at the allotment – follow the link above.

We’re delighted that Tora Budo Kai is hosting a fundraising event on 19th September and raising funds for us. If you are interested in attending and supporting us and them, all details are on this poster.

It’s our AGM on 23rd September – we’re hosting it online for ease this year. Details to follow next week.

We have an in-person Young Onset Dementia Focus Group meeting on Tuesday September 28th 7pm to 9pm and then on Wednesday 27th October 2.30pm to 4.30pm. These are held at The Queens Head, Hanham. Our Carers Support Group is on 29th September at 7pm. Our working group meeting is on 16th September at 7pm. If you would like to help us create activities for people with Young Onset Dementia please join our working group.

To mark World Alzheimer’s Month this September, music and dementia charity Playlist for Life is launching a new awareness campaign, Songs for Dementia, focusing on the individual beyond the dementia diagnosis. You can find out more at https://www.playlistforlife.org.uk/songs-for-dementia/

Date for your diary – our next Dementia Friendly Church webinar: Meaningful Worship & Dementia is on Tuesday 5th October 10-11.30am. 

We thought you might be interested in this Arts 4 Dementia Report launch on 21st Sept 10-11.30. The report aims to transform early diagnostic practice for dementia, to refer patients at the onset of symptoms to social prescribing for empowering arts opportunities to preserve brain health.
A.R.T.S. (Activities to Revitalise The Soul) for Brain Health presents findings from Arts 4 Dementia’s two-year campaign to achieve social prescribing to as automatic practice for dementia.  
The report addresses diagnostic and social prescribing practice, modifying risk factors for dementia through healthy and creative ageing, A.R.T.S practice to preserve brain health, programme partnerships and funding.

Thanks to RWA for their latest newsletter.

Thanks to CASS for this information:
Weekend of Events –
Friday 8th October 2021-  Mental Health and Faith: Leader’s Breakfast  @ Ebenezer Church.
Saturday 9th October 2021  –  Mental Health Conference @ Woodlands Church.
1. Friday 8^th October, 7.45am – 9.15am, Ebenezer Church (286 Filton Avenue, Horfield, BS7 0BA)
An invitation for church leaders to join us for breakfast and hear Patrick Regan share some vital insights from an ongoing research project conducted by Kintsugi Hope into attitudes towards mental health in our churches. Patrick offers his thoughts on why mental health is so important, and what this means for us as church leaders, for those in our churches, and those in our communities.
As we emerge from the pandemic, the need to care for our own and other’s emotional and mental well-being has never been greater. As we share a vision to break down barriers between our churches and our communities, let’s explore together how we can improve our understanding of mental health, develop a robust and practical theology of mental health, and provide safe, supportive and welcoming spaces.
Book your free breakfast place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mental-health-and-faith-leaders-breakfast-tickets-165390971849
Breakfast will be available from 7.45am, and Patrick will be speaking from 8.10 – 9am, followed by a time for questions until 9.15am
If you are unable to join us, please feel free to forward this invite to one of your Senior Leadership Team. We have limited space so if one senior leader from each church.
Following this breakfast.. Join us on
 2.  Saturday 9th October for the Mental Health Friendly Church Conference will be taking place 
At: Woodlands Church 
from 10am – 4.30pm.
Details and booking information here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mental-health-friendly-church-conference-tickets-160964289523
 These loneliness guides are really good: https://www.marmaladetrust.org/loneliness. We particularly like these: 

Marmalade Trust’s top 7 everyday courtesies

1. Smile and say hello to people
2. Stop for a chat
3. Find commonalties – i.e. the weather
4. Hold the door open for others
5. Be interested in other people
6. Help someone out – help the person with a pushchair up 4 flights of stairs
7. Tip your hat (even if it’s imaginary!)

We’re delighted that Tora Budo Kai is hosting a fundraising event on 19th September and raising funds for us. If you are interested in attending and supporting us and them, all details are on this poster.

We have our quarterly Avon & Somerset Dementia Forum meeting on zoom next Thursday 22nd September starting at 6pm. If you are from a  local Dementia Action Alliance or Dementia Friendly Community or just interested to know more please email us on office@bdaa.org.uk for the zoom link.

It’s our AGM on 23rd September at 6pm – we’re hosting it online for ease this year.  If you would like to join our short meeting, please email us on office@bdaa.org.uk for the zoom link. We promise it won’t be long or boring 😉

Alive are running another taster session at their allotment for people living with Young Onset Dementia:
Come along and enjoy helping grow and harvest fruit, veg and flowers on our purpose built allotment in Brentry. The site is fully accessible with wheelchair accessible paths, raised beds and accessible compost toilet. We have social shed for drizzly days, shades for sun, adapted tools and lots of comfy seating, with a Horticultural Therapist leading the session and trained volunteers supporting. We would love you to join us on Friday 24th September 1.30-3.30, for a free gardening session and tea and cake.
Please click Young Onset Dementia Session to book a place or contact us on communitygardening@aliveactivities.org or 07379498764 to find out more.

We have an in-person Young Onset Dementia Focus Group meeting on Tuesday September 28th 7pm to 9pm and then on Wednesday 27th October 2.30pm to 4.30pm. These are held at The Queens Head, Hanham. Our Carers Support Group is on 29th September at 7pm. Our working group meets monthly – if you would like to help us to create activities for people with Young Onset Dementia please contact us.

From 15th September until 5th October, when a person becomes a Co-op Member using the Co-op App or online, they will automatically receive a digital offer for £5 off shopping when they spend £15 instore. The more members that select Bristol Dementia Action Alliance and spend with Co-op, the more funding we will receive. When a Member buys selected Co-op branded products and services, 1p from every pound they spend supports us, through the Local Community Fund.
There’s only 5 weeks left in the fund, so please support us if you can.
https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/46399

We thought you might be interested in this information from Scope = Equality for disabled people about the Government’s benefit review.

We have decided to postpone our next Dementia Friendly Church webinar: Meaningful Worship & Dementia and will let you know the date as soon as it’s in the diary.

Thank you to Hannah from the mental health charity Changes for this information: We are a community led charity who offer both online and in-person peer support groups, telephone befriending and a walk and talk project for members who would like to meet up outside. We have many members who are from a range of communities and last year were asked to set up a Women of Colour peer support group, which has been well received. This October we are working directly with this group to celebrate Black History Month with a story-telling / poetry / spoken word project. Further details here.

The next Bristol Research Forum on Ageing will take place on 30th September and will be a two-topic special exploring home-based reablement and third sector research support. Full details here.

It’s the BRACE Together for Dementia 2021 Conference (online) on 2nd November. Details on this poster.Here is Bristol Beacon’s latest newsletter.

Thanks to Alzheimer’s Society for this activity pack.

Points West on Tuesday showed BRACE’s announcement of a test which may be able to diagnose Alzheimer’s years earlier than a doctor. See this BRACE email for further details. Tony and Barbara were also interviewed. The show doesn’t seem to be available at the moment but will hopefully be back on replay soon.

Alive are running another taster session at their allotment for people living with Young Onset Dementia tomorrow – Friday 24th September 1.30-3.30, for a free gardening session and tea and cake. Please click Young Onset Dementia Session to book a place or contact them on communitygardening@aliveactivities.org or 07379498764 to find out more.

We have an in-person Young Onset Dementia Focus Group meeting on Tuesday September 28th 7pm to 9pm and then on Wednesday 27th October 2.30pm to 4.30pm. These are held at The Queens Head, Hanham.
Our Carers Support Group is on 29th September at 7pm. Our working group meets monthly – if you would like to help us to create activities for people with Young Onset Dementia please contact us.

Good to hear that Silva Lining’s Care Plan, a podcast audio drama made by 2BU Productions/written by Elspeth Penny is out. It’s free and ready to listen to: the story centres on Silva, a retired neurosurgeon who has dementia but has invented something extraordinary – a very special organoid. Meet Brain, growing in a petri dish and fast developing a mind of its own….. Find it at https://elspeth4.podbean.com. 

What do you believe the Government must prioritise to #CureTheCare System? Alzheimer’s Society is asking everyone to contact their MP to attend their party conference.

Debi at Carers Support Service is looking to recruit Dementia Volunteer Mentors to join the Wellbeing Service who have lived experience of caring for someone with dementia . These volunteers will be offering 121 mentoring to carers who are new to their caring role ie following a diagnosis or are struggling in their caring role. The sessions will be focused and volunteers will receive specific training around Goal Planning & problem solving using a CBT based approach. You can contact her on 07716 288407 or debia@carerssupportcentre.org.uk

Thanks to Bristol City Council for this information about a new pilot service offered by Age Concern – Cognitive Stimulation Therapy
Age UK Bristol has funding to run a pilot program of Maintenance Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (MCST) which for ease we have called Memory Connections.  MCST is the only non-drug intervention recommended by NICE for people with dementia to maintain and improve their cognitive function.  People often have CST from AWP when they receive a diagnosis of dementia for up to 6 weeks, but this is intended to be ongoing with a view to slowing the deterioration of cognitive function. 
Memory Connections is delivered as weekly sessions; online or face to face. They are delivered to be sociable and fun, not medical or formal, so participants enjoy themselves, make friends and want to return. The sessions are also great respite for their carers and we are providing a carer ‘tea and chat’ at the same time as the face-to-face group to offer informal support. Details about sessions are here: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/bristol/our-services/mcst/
There is a charge to the participant for the service because the funding is agreed on the basis that a sustainable business model is developed for after March 2022.  Age UK South Gloucestershire and Somerset have the same funding and are working together to cover the BNSSG footprint.  

We’ve received this request from Matthew who provides a music experience service in Bristol called Engage & Immerse: I’m currently developing online music interactions for emotional wellbeing resources and training for carers of people living with dementia. I am looking for someone over the age of 60 who lives in Bristol and is able to consent to appearing in some of the demonstration videos as a participant. Please get in touch with me directly at engageandimmerse@hotmail.com for more info if you are interested or know someone who may be. Here are some of the key details:
-I would need about two hours to record the footage.
-I can drive to wherever you are.
-I will provide a negative lateral flow test prior to coming.
-All my equipment/instruments will be sanitised.
-Your face does not need to be in shot.
-Payment will be an offer of two free music experience sessions.

“Coping with the Pandemic”
A review of the past year at our BDAA AGM (with accounts & policies) will be on Thursday 21st October at 6pm. We’re hosting it online for ease this year.  If you would like to join our meeting, please email us on office@bdaa.org.uk for the zoom link.
We promise it won’t be long or boring ! ‘-)

We know it’s still September (just!) but it will soon be time to start thinking about Christmas! This year, Shakti has generously suggested running a Neal’s Yard Christmas facial and gifts online event for us on November 19th 7-8pm. We always have so much fun on these and the samples Shakti sends are lovely and smell amazing. We run these as a fundraiser for BDAA so it’s £10 to join plus a small Eventbrite joining fee. 

Anne Ellis, Dementia Friendly Communities Coordinator, North Somerset, has run a Dementia Awareness session at Tyntesfield. This is her first newsletter – lots of relevant information.
Thanks to Anne for also sharing this:

• Sibstar – is the first, highly secure debit card for people living with dementia and an app for their carer. It is designed to help families living with dementia to safely manage their daily spending. You can set daily spending limits, switch cashpoint or online payments on or off, and freeze and unfreeze the card. The product launches in October. Our Innovation team has been supporting the product’s development and 7.5% of net profit comes back to Alzheimer’s Society. You can read more about our partnership with Sibstar on the Society website and on knowledge-net. People affected by dementia can register their interest at http://sibstar.co.uk . (leaflet).

Get your free seeds in the post and join Together TV’s Green Challenge! New to gardening and cooking? Worry not! Together TV will walk you step by step through top tips and exclusive videos with TV Chef Rustie Lee for nurturing your basil seedlings and creating simple, tasty dishes. Along the 8-week journey together, you’ll have the opportunity to improve your gardening skills, learn some simple, new recipes, and connect with others. More information and the opportunity to pre-order your seeds (they will be sent in October) can be found here Bristol Health Partners’ latest newsletter.

Thanks to Norrms for this personal share.