1. art and entertainment
2. music
3. singing

Newsleer
Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale
Spring 2015
Contents: New Filey Acvity Group - Side by Side Volunteer Appeal - Demena Acon Alliance
Twiddle Muffs - Reminiscence Workshops - Scarborough Acvity Group - Volunteer Thank You
Spring is finally in the air and it’s lovely to see the snowdrops and crocuses making an appearance. It’s been a
really busy 3 months since our last newsletter with lots of exciting
changes to announce, new staff working on a range of projects along
with some new services launching.
We are pleased to announce that we have secured funding to employ a
Dementia Action Alliance Co-ordinator, John Henderson, who will be
working hard to set up a DAA Steering Group over the next couple of
months. His remit is to make North Yorkshire and in particular the East
Coast more Dementia Friendly which is wonderful news for us all!
We have also been successful in gaining some funding, through Voice
Your Choice, to facilitate a series of Reminiscence Workshops which will
be taking place at Scarborough Woodend Museum during the summer.
In addition we are also busy planning to delivery a Carers Course in the next couple of months so if you are
interested, do get in touch to get your name on the list.
Finally, we are launching the Scarborough Activity Group and Filey Activity Group in March and April
respectively. These services will focus on providing a range of activities for people with dementia and their
carers and will be taking place monthly at Scarborough and Filey Libraries. Activities will include Spring and
Gardening (including a sunflower growing competition), arts & crafts, singing and lots of laughter and chat over
coffee and cake. All welcome so do come along, dates of all services are on the back page of the newsletter.
Singing for the Brain - So much fun!
Whitby Singing for the Brain is relocating from this
month to the Green Lane Centre in Whitby. The
group meets on the first Tuesday of every month,
1.30pm-3pm and all are welcome.
Our Scarborough group meets weekly, 1.30pm-3pm
at Southcliff Methodist Church in Scarborough.
Our singing for the Brain Groups are going from
strength to strength and are proving to be very
popular across Ryedale, Scarborough and Whitby. If
you like a good sing along to the Beatles, songs from
the musicals and your school days then do come
along. Further details of dates and venues on the
back page of this newsletter.
Ryedale Singing for the Brain meets on the first and
third Thursday of every month. The group meets at
the Salvation Army Building, Wood Street, Norton,
1.30pm-3pm.
Singing for the Brain is based around the principles
of music therapy and singing. The structured group
sessions use music to encourage communication
and participation and include opportunities to talk to
other people.
ACTIVITY GROUPS SIDE BY SIDE We need volunteers
LAUNCHED in
Scarborough & Filey We need you!
Side by Side is an exciting new FREE service that
we are pleased to be piloting across Scarborough,
Whitby and Ryedale. As part of a proposed
national service offered by Alzheimer’s Society,
we will be launching the new service in the next
month or so but need a bank of volunteers to
ensure this service is successful.
Side by Side has been designed to support people
with dementia, to encourage and support them to
continue to participate in a range of activities,
hobbies and interests with a little help from a
volunteer to tackle isolation & loneliness.
If you have an hour to spare and would like to
make a real difference to a person with dementia
in your local area, please do get in touch. A full
training package and support is available, as is
the opportunity to make a real difference to
someone’s life!
We are really excited to announce that we are opening
two new monthly Activity Groups in Scarborough and
Filey and will be based at Scarborough and Filey Library.
We asked our service users what they enjoy doing and
their answer was simple, they wanted to enjoy
themselves, have fun, meet new people and try new
things.
We have lots of activities lined up including Arts and
Craft, Stories and Poetry, Chair Exercises / Music,
activities and games as well as a plentiful supply of
refreshments and company.
If you have any memory
problems,
or
support
someone
with
memory
problems then do come
long. Dates on the back
page of this newsletter.
Professionals also welcome
and all are free to join in
activities or just drop in for a
chat or support if needed.
Pam and Bridget will we
waiting to welcome you!
Dementia Awareness Week 2015!
18 - 22 May 2015
Activities will be taking place all across our patch. We
will be opening up our Singing for the Brain Groups to
the friends and family of our service users and of course
the general public. We are also busy planning a
Singing for the Brain session at the Brunswick Centre in
Scarborough to raise the profile of the benefits of
Singing for the Brain during DAW so watch this space.
Want to get involved?
Ring the office on 01723 500958
For more information, ring the team on 01723 500958.
Fundraising, Volunteering and Donations—THANK YOU
Our fundraising supporters have been busy in recent months and we would like to thank them for the following
donations:
Filey Golf Club for raising £116
The Coffee Cup Christmas Raffle £130
Mrs Doreen Brooke, sale of cards £200
Scarborough Retired Teachers £200
Mr T Mason, Whitby Fundraising Concert £360
Andy Philips (opposite) for running the Yorkshire
Marathon in memory of his grandmother who had
dementia raising a wonderful £425! Well done
Andy, your grandmother would have been proud of
you.
For more information, visit alzheimers.org.uk
STILL ALICE
An Oscar-winning performance
captures early-onset Dementia
Golden Globe winning and Oscar nominated actress Julianne Moore spoke of the responsibility she felt portraying
a person with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
At the event, held at the Curzon Mayfair in London, Moore met people living with dementia, a full-time carer and an
Alzheimer's Society Dementia Support Worker who helps people come to terms with their diagnosis.
Jeremy Hughes, Alzheimer’s Society Chief Executive, said, 'Still Alice does so much to tackle the stigma and
shame all too often associated with dementia. Julianne's performance is incredibly powerful and it is rare to see
Alzheimer's portrayed so accurately on screen. The film captures the personal journey of dementia and the effect
the disease has not only on the individual, but their family too.
'Wendy Mitchell from York was diagnosed with dementia last year at the age of 58. She attended the premiere and
spoke to Julianne Moore about the affect her performance had on her. She said, 'Still Alice was always going to be
a difficult film to watch as it would be a reflection of what the future holds for me. I thanked Julianne for her
performance, which was refreshingly real and sensitively portrayed, with no stereotypical pretence. I hope it
succeeds in raising awareness of a disease that has so far eluded scientists in finding a cure.'
Based on a book of the same title, Still Alice tells the story of Alice Howland, a professor at Columbia University
who develops a rare form of familial Alzheimer's disease at the age of 50. The film explores the implications of the
disease which, in Alice's case, has a genetic cause and carries the risk of being passed down to her children.
Moore has received critical acclaim for her performance and is nominated for a BAFTA and an Oscar.
• There are more than 40,000 people under 65 with dementia in the UK.
• Look out for early warning signs:
if someone has trouble remembering simple things, gets easily confused or has sudden mood changes, they
should see a doctor.
• Your GP may ask you to complete an MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination) to assess your memory. If they
are worried they will refer you to a specialist for further testing.
A WALK DOWN Twiddlemuffs
MEMORY LANE Intrigued? Read on ……...
Reminiscence Workshops
for People with Dementia
and their Carers.
We are pleased to announce we were successful in
gaining funding, through Voice Your Choice, to run a
series of 6 Reminiscence Workshops in Scarborough
planned for June/July 2015.
As part of Scarborough hospital’s work towards
improving care for people with dementia, we would
like to provide a supply of Twiddlemuffs.
A
Twiddlemuff is a knitted band or muff with items
attached which people in later stages of dementia
can use for stimulation, comfort or conversation.
We are looking for people who can knit a
Twiddlemuff and are able to provide the pattern if
you want to help.
If you can’t knit but would still like to support us, we
would welcome donations of chunky or double knit
knitting wool and embellishments such as buttons,
beads, zips, ribbon, braids etc. Please bear in mind
that items should be safe, in good condition and
ideally washable and wipeable.
Any completed Twiddlemuffs or donations can be
handed in at any Alzheimer’s Society group or
service. We hope to have a collection point in
Scarborough Hospital shortly. Alternatively ring the
Alzheimer’s Society local office on (01723) 500958
and we can sort out another drop-off/collection. We
can also provide more information about our work
in the hospital and in the community to support
people living with dementia.
Reminiscing and life history work can be a powerful way
of communicating with a person with dementia. It can be
the basis for enjoyable time spent together with their
carer/family member and a way for the person with
dementia to feel empowered. This can contribute
positively to their well-being.
What is reminiscence and how does it help a person
with dementia?
Reminiscence therapy is a method that is used to help
encourage people to remember events from their past,
using reminders such as songs, objects and
photographs. This can help to maintain people's
confidence and self-esteem. Carers and family members
can use these techniques at home, for example by
encouraging the person to talk about their past and share
memories.
What will the project look like?
The group will choose a topic themselves to work on in
week 5 and week 6 will pull all the weeks together to
start making a life story book that can be carried on as a
longer term project with family.
If you are interested in attending these workshops,
please do ring and put your name on the list. Places will
be limited so first come first served.
The workshops will consist of 6 sessions for a group of
Please contact Alzheimer’s Society on 01723 500958
people with dementia and their carers. Sessions 1-4 will
and ask to be put on the waiting list.
look at ‘Home Life’, ‘School Life’, ‘Celebrations’ and
Bridget Cousins
‘Family Life’.
Books on prescription: Dementia books in public libraries
A new scheme which supports living well for people affected by
dementia by recommending helpful books to read.
The recommended books will be widely available in public libraries
throughout England as part of a national library strategy to support
the development of dementia-friendly communities. The scheme,
called Reading Well: Books on Prescription for Dementia, was
created in partnership with the Society, the Reading Agency, Royal
Colleges and other dementia organisations. Janet Baylis, Dementia
Knowledge Centre Manager, was involved from the Society. She
said, 'The books are recommended by Alzheimer's Society, health
professionals and were selected with the involvement of groups of
people with dementia and carers. The scheme promotes libraries as
places to go for information about dementia, where they can find the
right books to help them understand more about the condition.'
The list includes a range of books offering:
•
•
•
•
•
Information about dementia and normal aging
Support for living well with dementia after diagnosis
Practical information for carers
Personal accounts
Suggestions for shared therapeutic activities
GILL PERKS Thank you from us all!
We couldn't do what we do without our wonderful volunteers, many of which have
supported us for many years. Gill Perks has supported people with dementia and
carers in Ryedale for 15 years and no doubt will continue to do so for many years
to come. Her dedication is much appreciated by Alzheimer’s Society staff and the
many carers and people with dementia who have benefited from her ongoing
support over the last 15 years. Thank you Gill.
Louise Morgan, Services Manager and the team.
Food for thought ….. As the theme for our
groups in April will be Poetry we thought this
poem was beautiful and very moving.
CINDY
By Nina Herrman
When you look at me, you will measure me
- by my awareness
- by my response
- by my age
- by my development
And you will shake your head, and find me
lacking
But, for me, you are measuring with the wrong
cup
So, measure me if you must –
But measure me too with my cup
And you will find me
Full
CARERS INFORMATION AND SUPPORT
PROGRAMME (CrISP)
We are running a series of 4 workshops style sessions for carers
covering a range of topics including:
Session 1: Understanding Dementia
Session 2: Legal and Money Matters
Session 3: Providing Support and Care
Session 4: Coping Day to Day and Next Steps
We do operate a waiting list for the sessions and in some
instances can organise for respite care if needed.
CrISP is delivered by trained Alzheimer’s Society facilitators
nationally and provides accurate and up to date information on
the support available to carers. All carers are encouraged to
maintain contact following the sessions to form ongoing peer
support networks and friendships.
If you would like a place, ring the office to be put on the waiting
list.
What is it and how can you help?
There are 800,000 people living with dementia in the
UK.
The Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) is a
movement with a simple aim: to bring about a societywide response to dementia.
It encourages and
supports communities and organisations across
England to take practical actions to enable people to
live well with dementia and reduce the risk of costly
crisis intervention.
At a national level the DAA has begun to shape policy
and attitudes by conducting joint research into the
benefits of timely diagnosis and launching calls to
action to improve hospital care and support for carers.
We galvanise action locally by coordinating and
supporting the growth of Local Dementia Action
Alliances.
Local Dementia Action Alliances bring together
regional and local members. These include large and
small retailers, care providers, local authorities,
hospital trusts, emergency services, faith groups,
financial and professional services, charities, transport
operators, basically any organisation that may come
into contact with a person with dementia or carers and
can make a difference by implementing a change in
approach and raising awareness in their own staff.
The process is designed to enable communities to be
publicly recognised for working towards becoming
dementia-friendly and to show that they are following
common criteria that are based on what we know is
important to people affected by dementia and will truly
change their experience.
Meet our new DAA Coordinator….
John Henderson, our new Dementia Action Alliance
Coordinator, is funded for 12 months to support the
set up of a steering group in our area and will be in
touch with a range of organisations in the coming
weeks and months. If you are interested to know
more, do give him a rin on 01723 500958 or
07958578996 or email john.henderson@alzheimers.org.uk
Diary Dates 2015:
APRIL : Poetry Please
Ryedale Singing for the Brain - 2nd and 16th
Hunmanby Singing for the Brain - 1st
Whitby Singing for the Brain - 7th
Scarborough Singing for the Brain - Wed Weekly
Pickering Memory Café - 23rd
Scarborough Activity Group - 13th
Filey Activity Group - 28th
Hunmanby Luncheon Club/Café - 15th
MAY : Move to Music
Ryedale Singing for the Brain - 7th and 21st
Hunmanby Singing for the Brain - 6th
Whitby Singing for the Brain - 5th
Scarborough Singing for the Brain - Wed Weekly
Pickering Memory Café - 28th
Scarborough Activity Group - 11th
Filey Activity Group - 26th
Hunmanby Luncheon Club/Café - 20th
JUNE: Local Memories
Ryedale Singing for the Brain - 4th and 18th
Hunmanby Singing for the Brain - 3rd
Whitby Singing for the Brain - 2nd
Scarborough Singing for the Brain - Wed Weekly
Pickering Memory Café - 25th
Scarborough Activity Group - 8th
Filey Activity Group - 30th
Hunmanby Luncheon Club/Café - 17th
GROUPS:
For times and venues for all the above events
contact the office on 01723 500958.
Carers Group - Every Tuesday, 10am-12,
(Red Lea Hotel, Prince of Wales Terrace,
Scarborough)
Contact Details
Alzheimer’s Society Scarborough, Whitby, Ryedale
Unit 16 Manor Court
Manor Garth
Scarborough
North Yorkshire
YO11 3TU
01723 500958 / scarborough@alzheimers.org.uk
National Dementia Helpline: 0300 222 1122
www.alzheimers.org.uk
Reg. charity no. 296645 . Alzheimer’s Society