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Memory Catcher

is a pilot project aimed at creating life story books within local communities. It offers the chance for individuals, relatives and carers to work together with facilitators over a 5 week period to capture memories and experiences and record them in a keepsake book which can be used by family members and carers in years to come.
An initial pilot project has run in Haslingden in May 2017 and again in Accrington in Nov 2017, the success of this pilot has prompted us to seek further funding to roll out the project to other parts of East Lancashire.
Over the course of 5 weeks, 2 hour sessions, participants will be helped to write their life stories in as much detail as they wish and put them in a book which can be embellished as little or as much as they choose. Although it can be a valuable and meaningful activity for those living with dementia, the sessions are also aimed at anyone who would like to create a life story book. Individuals can attend alone or can bring carers or relatives to help create their book.

We are also offering a 6th session with our volunteer amateur genealogist for those people who may want to go on to trace more of their family history

If you would like to participate or know of someone who could benefit from the reminiscence stimulation, social interaction and fun and laughter that is had at these sessions please contact Jan: actionfordementia@gmail.com or call 07464 072019.

Our 1st of 5 weekly 2 hour sessions is on the 14th Feb 2018 at Clayton-Le-Moors Baptist Church, Sparth Road, BB5 5PZ

Dancing DJ Simon Tomlinson raises £100.00 for
Action For Dementia.

Today 10th April 2017 we met up with Simon Tomlinson and his lovely wife Toni, we were presented with £100.00 that had been raised by Simon and his wife at an event in Bradford, organised and DJ’d by Simon.
Thank you so much for choosing Action For Dementia as the charity to benefit from your hard work and kindness. This will help towards the costs of materials needed to get our Dementia Information Point/Hub open as quickly as possible. Once again thank you so much, looking forward to seeing you again soon. Stay in touch.

We have a Hub at 1st Call Hyndburn in Accrington Arndale – Feel free to come and see us any Wednesday for advice and information.

There will be a Community Information Event held at Accrington Outdoor Market on Wednesday the 7th December, please pop along to find out about what local groups and charities can do for you.

Several years ago our scientists developed a drug that blocks the formation of the ‘senile plaques’ that are found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia. This work is led by Professor David Allsop, who was the first person to isolate these plaques from the human brain.

‌The drug works by stopping single molecules of a substance called ‘Aβ’ from clustering together to form oligomers, which then aggregate further into ‘amyloid fibres’ that are found at the centre of the senile plaques. The oligomers and plaques cause damage to nerve cells, and lead to further changes in the brain that culminate in dementia.

You can read more about Professor Allsop’s research in the documents below.

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/defyingdementia/our-research/

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We want you all to know about a fantastic project called ” Adages”

Adages: a new oratorio written by composer Holly Marland through working with people with Dementia!

Adages Blog

About the project

This project involves creating and performing a new oratorio through working with different groups of older people with Dementia and their carers. Holly Marland, an experienced music for health practitioner/composer will work in residence with 3 groups in rural, urban and hospital Dementia settings. Ideas generated through workshops with groups will be crafted into an accessible, secular oratorio for mixed voices accompanied by Kora (West African Harp) and ensemble. This unique work will be performed at Manchester Cathedral on
Thursday 6 April 2017 at 7pm. The performance will be recorded and excerpts from the oratorio will also be broadcast live on BBC Radio 4 to raise public awareness about the role of music in Dementia care. The project is supported through partnership between lead practitioner Holly Marland and Music in Hospitals, RNCM and Manchester Cathedral. It has received funding from Arts Council England as well as support from Music in Hospitals and in kind support from RNCM and Manchester Cathedral.

About Holly Marland

Holly is a singer, kora player, composer and music therapist, widely acclaimed for engagement with diverse audiences and expertise in the field of music for health (M4H).

She pioneered the M4H programme at Central Manchester University Hospitals Foundation Trust (based at RNCM then LIME), delivering an extensive project portfolio funded by Esmee Fairbairn, Youth Music, Leonardo and others. This included brokering dynamic partnerships with regional organisations and securing the patronage of Jools Holland. She recently delivered an ACE funded project in Neonatology commissioned by Appetite Stoke/Royal Stoke University Hospitals (Dec 15 – Apr 16). Holly works for the charity Music in Hospitals delivering participatory concerts with Michael Cretu/double bass in healthcare settings and for BBC Radio 4 Daily Service as singer/music director, having had 3 compositions broadcast during the last 18 months.

Recent composition commissions include You are the Mirror, an extended work for Manchester Cathedral Choir (June 15) and Exodus – reflections on migration and slavery for RNCM’s Big Weekender (March 15).
View Holly’s Portfolio at https://hollymarlandmusic.com

Further information

There is often a focus on what people with Dementia can’t do. Working within Dementia “communities” to develop an oratorio for performance by the wider community supported by eminent local organisations will showcase people with Dementia’s potential and challenge perceptions around their care.
Music has the capacity to re-orientate and restore agency in people with Dementia – triggering conversations, experiences and memories, animating faces/bodies and liberating emotions. Much research literature around music and Dementia has been dismissed by Evidence Based Medicine for using poor methodologies and being limited in size. This project presents evidence in a new light, allowing artistic outcomes to demonstrate music’s efficacy rather than impersonal quantitative outcomes – allowing the voices of older people to be heard.

Drawing on her skills as M4H practitioner, music therapist, performer and composer, Holly will work with 3 different Dementia care settings between September 16 and March 17 to co-create an extended musical work comprising settings of adages/stories/sayings. The words and music will be crafted from workshop interactions with groups, individuals and carers.

This accessible piece will be performed, recorded and broadcast by local choirs and community groups accompanied by the Kora and instrumental ensemble. Hosted by Manchester Cathedral, this Dementia friendly performance will bring different age groups and abilities together to celebrate and showcase the insights of our elders. There will be an exhibition of information available from organisations supporting
people with Dementia and their carers.
Contact hollymarlandmusic@gmail.com 07811 352 102 for further information and a press pack

ADAGES

The project has been devised by Holly Marland and is delivered in partnership
with Music in Hospitals, RNCM and Manchester Cathedral, supported by Arts
Council England.

Community Solutions Family Fun Day, and the weather was superb.
Thanks to Deborah(CSNW) and Peter(HomeInstead)for asking us to come along.

Today we took ourselves off to the Arthur Wilson Centre, Clayton-Le-Moors, where we had a stall at a Craft & Dabble Fair. There were lot’s of beautiful, clever, lovingly handcrafted items on the stalls there. We took Twiddle Muffs, always a great talking point, Fairtrade Memory/Keepsake boxes and other Items. The afternoon was rounded off by a visit from the Mayor & Mayoress and we got a couple of great photographs with them. Would like to say a big thank you to Sarah Barton for an interesting and fun afternoon.

Accrington Town Centre, letting people know that we will be at 1st Call Hyndburn, Accrington Arndale Unit every Wednesday. If you have a question/query about Dementia, Dementia services, Carer support, Groups or activities for people living with Dementia, or would like a chat please come in and see us, and if we can’t answer your query there and then we will do our best to have your answer by the following week.