Millhouses Park is a large park in the Ecclesall area of Sheffield. Many people have fond childhood memories of visiting the park.
Malcolm, who attends the day centre, talked about wanting to visit the park with his wife, Lynn. They had spent much of their early married life visiting the park, this had continued when their children came along. Lynsey collected Malcolm and Lynn from home. During the journey Malcolm was able to point out local landmarks and places where family members had lived.
Being in the park generated lots of memories for Malcolm and Lynn, comparisons were made with how the park used to look and how it looks now. They were able to appreciate the formal flower beds, boating lake and cafe as well as new developments i.e. outside gym, splash water play and the skate park.
The weather was kind and everyone appreciated being out in the fresh air, being amongst people having a good time. After a visit to the cafe we made our way home. The next time Malcolm came to the centre he commented on how much he had enjoyed the little trip.
On Wednesday 7th May we celebrated the 80th anniversary of VE Day. The anniversary was an opportunity to honour the second World War generation and reflect on the sacrifices made during the war. Many of the people who attend our group were children during the war.
They have vivid memories of going into air raid shelters and witnessing the aftermath of the Sheffield blitz. They recall rationing and the impact that the loss of life had on their communities. We spent time reflecting on the hardships but also on the positive outcomes of how communities came together and helped each other.
The morning period was spent finishing decorating the hall. We put up bunting, flags and balloons. Linda had made a cake which we all shared. After lunch, we had a musical afternoon, singing and dancing facilitated by Andrea. It was a really lovely day, a day to share experiences and celebrate freedom and peace.
There is a lot of excitement at the centre as we prepare to celebrate VE Day.
Many of the people who attend group were children during the war. They have vivid memories of air raid shelters and bomb damaged buildings.
They talk about the camaraderie, friendships and communities coming together.
Whilst planning this event people were asked what food they would like to have, it was an unanimous decision to have fish and chips followed by trifle.
Our VE Day Celebrations are kindly being supported by funding from East Local Area Committee and we thank them for their support.
The day centre continues to be a friendly , nurturing environment where everyone feels valued and welcome. Over recent weeks we have had people coming to the centre for the first time and we have received comments about the energy that is generated by the group and the immediate sense of belonging that visitors feel.
We have had lots of different activities, table games, singing and dancing, art work, local history, chatting and laughing. One lady has a love for knitting and has, so far, taught 3 people to knit. Lorna and Linda have led craft groups.
Tony has been a member of the Group for a few years. He often shares stories of his working in heavy industry.
We talked about Sheffield’s proud history of steel making and how it shaped the lives of people who worked very hard in difficult working environments.
Tony expressed an interest in visiting Kelham Island Museum, a Sheffield industry and steel making museum with interactive galleries and on-site Craftsmen Tony, Lynsey and Courtney had a brilliant day out.
Tony was especially impressed with the River Don Engine, a steam engine that was used for rolling hot steel. It was built in 1904, after over 70yrs service it was installed in Kelham Island Museum. Its sheer size is a sight to behold.
There were friendly, knowledgeable guides that were happy to talk us through different machines and tools, we all came away knowing more than we had arrived with.
Afterwards, we went to Joni’s cafe for a drink and relaxed before heading back home.
Thank you to everyone who came to help us celebrate on Wednesday. Didn’t we have a lovely time!
Here are a few pictures from the event:
Research Participants Needed!
Are you a carer of someone with dementia? Does the person you care for attend a day centre? Would you like to share your views and contribute to research?
A study is being conducted which focuses on the role of day care centres for people living with dementia on the lives of informal carers. Taking part in this study would involve a face to face interview, lasting approximately one hour, during which you would be asked questions regarding your role as a carer and the influence dementia day centres have on your life. The interviews would take place around Spring 2023.
The research will be conducted by Ursula Mallender, an Occupational Therapy postgraduate student at Sheffield Hallam University.
Please note that this is a voluntary study, there will be no payment for participation.
Thank you for taking the time to read this!
Life Story Group
Some of you may have heard about the Life Story Project from Pat and Nigel. This is a wonderful project delivered by Speech and Language therapists working with the University of Sheffield. The group runs on Wednesday afternoons from a venue near Weston Park Museum.
What is life story work?
Life story work is about finding out what is important to you
– your memories, experiences and beliefs.
Students get to know you and what interests you.
Share what YOU want about YOUR life.
If you want us to, we put this information into your Life Story.
Your Life Story is unique, so you choose how to do it. Some people make
books, but other people choose a box of important pictures and items.
Some people work on communication, or just have a chat.
There is a bit of a waiting list to join the group at present and they can only accept referrals (i.e. people can’t just drop in) but please chat to Bev if you would like to find out more or if you would like to be referred.
Au revoir!
Goodbye for now from Ayesha. I’m moving on to a different organisation next week but just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone involved with DDG. What a wonderful and special environment you have all created and I send you all my love and best wishes for the next 40 years! xxxxx
Welcome to the second edition of our new newsletter for carers, members, staff and friends of Darnall Dementia Group.
DDG Groups for carers
We continue to offer two groups for carers past and present. Bev runs a fortnightly Zoom group on Tuesdays 2pm – 3pm which is a chance to catch up on the week’s events and is well attended. Please call Bev for the Zoom links and log ins.
Ayesha runs a monthly face to face carers group from one of the upstairs rooms at St Albans. It’s a chance to share how we are all getting along but also a chance to share news about groups, events and useful tips. It’s also a chance to meet without the person you care for as they are able to come to a fun (and free) singing session with Andrea downstairs in the Day centre – even if it’s not their regular day to attend. We may be able to help with transport for those living near to Darnall. Please get in touch with Ayesha if you would like to come along and if you would like to book a place for the singing session. Dates for the rest of the year are Wednesday 7 September, 5 October, 2 November, 7 December
Can you help?
Like lots of small charities Darnall Dementia Group relies on the support of our invaluable volunteers. Our transport partner Manor Community Transport is really in need of volunteers to drive their minibuses and bring people into our Day Centre and to other groups and centres. If you know anyone that might be interested in the Volunteer Driver role please direct them to the advert on the Voluntary Action Sheffield Website here: https://www.vcconnectsystem.org.uk/VMS2/VolunteerOpportunities/DetailsForSearch/2880
or ask them to contact Lisa at Manor Community Transport : manormobeel@googlemail.com
Tips and Tricks! At our last carers group people were talking about how we can keep people safe if they go out for a walk alone and potentially could forget where they are or how to get home. For people who carry a mobile phone it’s possible to tweak the map settings to share the location with someone else, e.g. on Google maps go to your account and choose “Location sharing”. Alternatively, there are lots of different GPS trackers on the market. My internet search found one by Ubeequee for less than £40 for the gadget and a £4 per month subscription (via a SIM card). If anyone has found a good product that they would recommend it would be good to share 😊
What’s on? There are always new groups or events springing up either for people living with dementia or their carers. Here are a few that we’ve come across recently:
Health, social care and community colleagues working in the Manor, Park and Arbourthorne areas are taking part in a project to reduce falls amongst people living with dementia. Several DDG staff and volunteers recently attended this helpful falls training session for staff. This free training is now being offered to people living with dementia and their carers. Even if you live outside of the area its worth getting in touch as the organisers may be able to extend the invitation to you.
Hype Dance, in association with Lab4Living, and funded by Arts Council England, have undertaken a period of R&D, utilising two dancers and a movement artist / choreographer to understand and deconstruct the movements executed during the dressing of older people in care by re-enacting dressing rituals, using performance research methods. The aim of this is to explore whether the use of art-based and performance research methods, such as dance and textile creations, can lead to a new understanding of the relationship between a person with reduced mobility and their carers, during dressing rituals.
This project will culminate in a sharing of the dance theatre on Friday 12th August at 19:00 at Hype Dance Studio Theatre, Sheffield. There will be some research materials on display, a short Q&A session after the sharing and a chance for an informal social exchange at the end. The event will last approximately 1 hour. If you (or any of your colleagues) would like to attend this event, please reply to this email – and please feel free to forward to anyone you feel may be interested. Many thanks Alex
Neighbourhood Dementia Partnership meeting This is a really useful monthly meeting that I go to which is hosted by Dovercourt surgery. It’s attended by local dementia groups and organisations and has some representation from people living with dementia and carers (but would appreciate more). We often have presentations from local services and people with expertise in living with dementia or supporting people living with dementia. The next meeting is on Thursday 22nd September, 12,30pm-200pm on Zoom. Please contact michelle.wilde1@nhs.net if you would like to be added to the mailing list.
Forthcoming conference organised by Deepness Dementia Media. At Victoria Hall, Sheffield on the 26th and 27th September 2022 The conference is organised by Deepness Dementia Media (Deepness Ltd), a non-profit organization, run by people living with Dementia for people living with Dementia. The theme of the two-day Conference is the Unconscious Bias of Dementia Let me know if you’d like me to send you a copy of the poster or you can get more info from: karen@deepnessdementiaradio.com
Chat and Cuppa with Sheffield Museums Drop-in, free sessions for people living with Dementia or memory issues, their carers and friends. Free tea and coffee provided. These run monthly from the different museum sites and there’s often an opportunity to have a guided tour round the museum/gallery or to do some making yourself. I volunteer at these and it’s a lovely group – it’s not well attended yet so please spread the word 😊 Upcoming dates are: Thursday 11 August 1 – 3pm, Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet Tuesday 6 September 1 –3pm Kelham Island Museum More information can be found on their webpage: https://www.museums-sheffield.org.uk/whats-on/events/2022/6/cuppa-at-the-museum-%E2%80%93-dementia-friendly-cafe.
One of our local “People Keeping Well” provider organisations is Manor and Castle Development Trust. One of the services they offer is regular wellbeing phone calls/visits to people living with dementia and their carers. Their worker knows about local dementia friendly services and can signpost to other groups or services too. I sat in on their Zoom carers group and also their dementia friendly social café at the Victoria Centre last month – both were very welcoming and I recommend them to you. https://manorandcastle.org.uk/health-wellbeing/dementia-support-in-our-community/
Other useful contact numbers (thank you Nigel for sharing)
Lastly, as always – if we can help with anything please contact myself or Bev and we will try our best to assist . Also please let me know whether you prefer this newsletter to be posted or emailed or if you would like to come off the distribution list. The newsletter will also be added to our website: http://www.darnalldementiagroup.co.uk/ Thank you! Ayesha
Whooo – it’s a warm one today! I hope everyone is managing to look after themselves and their loved ones in this heat. One of our great trustees Kristen pulled together a list of useful reading for looking after ourselves and others during this heatwave. Main messages are of course – open windows in morning and evening once the air is cooler – but keep them closed in the middle of the day when its hotter outside than in, drink lots of water, stay home and in the shade, don’t do too much:
The other update to mention is that our revised offer leaflet is about to go to the printers so we will soon have a lovely printed version. Let me know if you would like a few copies to hand out.
