By Ali Wilkins: This month, marks the one-year anniversary of expanded dementia support services launched by local charity, ReMind UK. In their first year, these new services helped support people affected by dementia and transform the lives of three times more people in the local community than in previous years. Remind UK’s support activities in 2023-24 included wellbeing programmes for carers and their loved ones, seasonal events both in Bath and surrounding areas like Keynsham, Midsomer Norton and Chilcompton plus the launch of a free, advice guide called, A Guide to Living Well with Dementia.
ReMind UK, formerly known as RICE, is launching a campaign called Getting Ahead of Dementia this month to raise funds and awareness of the charity’s work to develop research into dementia treatments, provide memory assessment and diagnosis services as well as their post diagnosis support for local families affected by dementia. The campaign features local artist, Sarah Creeth, who shares how she has benefited from ReMind UK’s memory services in the last year as well as from joining in their events and a 10-week Chat, Make and Move wellbeing programme. ReMind UK – We’re getting ahead of dementia
Sarah Creeth, from Bath, who is supported by ReMind UK said: “The support I’ve had from the team at ReMind UK since my dementia diagnosis has helped me so much, it is a wonderful organisation. As well as using their expert memory service I’ve also taken part in some of their courses and events. The course activities have been stimulating and fun and the people have been friendly and approachable. I now feel more confident, and I’ve re-found my lost creativity. My cognitive score has actually gone up since doing these courses so I want people to know how important ReMind UK’s support is for people living with a dementia diagnosis.”
Funding from the National Lottery’s Building Communities programme has enabled ReMind UK to scale up its infrastructure and launch new post-diagnosis support courses and events to reach many more people affected by dementia. Before 2023, the charity offered only a handful of courses each year but since receiving funding from the lottery, St Monica Trust and Bath Boules, the charity has delivered a large programme of support to reduce isolation and confusion and encourage wellbeing. In the last year, ReMind UK has run five creative and movement courses and ten seasonal events reaching more people with a dementia diagnosis and their carers in Bath and the surrounding areas.
This summer, Remind UK launched a Guide to Living Well with Dementia, co-produced by people with lived experience, which has been distributed to almost five hundred people. The charity has created a new volunteer programme and trained and engaged over fifty volunteers including setting up a Lived Experience Advisory Panel to guide ReMind UK’s programme of interventions and resources.
Melissa Hillier, Chief Executive Officer for ReMind UK said: “We support over a thousand people each year through diagnosis and treatment, research participation, attending our events and courses to learn and connect, and through providing useful resources for those with a diagnosis and their carers. Over 1.1 million people in the UK are predicted to have dementia in the next five years and currently there is no cure. By supporting our campaign to fund more research, memory service care and wellbeing support you can play your part in building a better future for local families impacted by dementia.”
To find out more about ReMind UK’s support services, research or memory clinic or to donate visit www.reminduk.org