Newcastle Dementia Friendly Community Work Towards Creating a More Dementia Friendly Town
The newly formed ‘Newcastle-Under-Lyme Dementia Friendly Community’ (DFC) group are working towards Newcastle becoming more welcoming and accessible to anyone affected by dementia.
To promote this year’s Dementia Action Week (20-26 May 2019) Newcastle DFC steering group have organised an event to raise awareness about dementia and the support available in the Borough.
On Thursday 23 May from 10.00am to 2.00pm, there will be a number of stalls set up next to the Guildhall highlighting the work of local groups.
At 10.00am, pupils from St Mary’s RC Primary School will be reading dementia friendly stories in Newcastle library.
At 11.00am, the children will then join the Approach ‘Men in Sheds’ group outside the Guildhall where they will work together to plant and pot forget-me-nots, a symbol for dementia. The flowers, pots and compost have been kindly donated by Garners Garden Centre, working with Housing21. The pots will then be taken to display at Bradwell Crematorium.
The Approach ‘Men in Sheds’ group have created an archway which the children will decorate with handmade flowers.
Throughout the day schoolchildren from St Mary’s and Seabridge Schools will be taking part in special drama sessions organised by Ages and Stages Theatre Company from the New Vic Theatre.
At 12.30 there will be a Dementia Friends session in the Guildhall. Dementia Friends is about learning more about dementia and the small ways you can help. This session is open to the public.
Information packs are being circulated to local businesses, shops and cafes which will help them to assess their own premises and ensure their services are dementia friendly.
Throughout the day there will be an opportunity to access information, support and advice from dementia specialists.
We would like to thank the DFC steering group from Approach, Home Instead Senior Care, Housing21 and Newcastle Borough Council for organising the event and to Newcastle Library, Newcastle BID, Friends of the Guildhall, Garners Garden Centre and Britain in Bloom for their support.
We are very excited about the event and raising awareness of dementia across Newcastle-under-Lyme.
