The Trent Bridge Community Trust have launched the #Donate4Dementia campaign to safeguard the future of the programme following the conclusion of its current funding cycle.
Forget Me Notts provides a safe environment and stimulating activities for individuals living with dementia, with sessions taking in golf, badminton, bowls, chairobics, or simply the opportunity to relax in an informal setting.
The scheme also facilitates a peer support network, short periods of respite and access to expert advice for carers, in light of Alzheimer’s UK research which found that almost two-thirds say they have insufficient support, or even none at all.
Currently, upwards of 70 individuals attend monthly ‘cafe’ sessions at Trent Bridge, with approximately 40 taking advantage of sports activities delivered at Edwalton Golf Centre, Rushcliffe Arena and Melbourne Park.
The programme previously won the Health and Wellbeing Award at the Celebrating Rushcliffe Awards, and has been named Community Group of the Year by Active Notts.
Donations can be made here…
“Forget Me Notts provides crucial support to often overlooked members of our community,” Trent Bridge Community Trust Projects Manager, Mark Clifford, said.
“We’ve catered for hundreds of participants in the six years that the programme has been running.
“The thing that really brings home to me just how powerful the sessions are is that individuals who have lost loved ones to dementia often keep attending, because of the connections they have made.
“The empathy of our staff ensures that none of those that attend feel alone in their fight against dementia, but we are only able to retain them if the project is funded.
“We also want every session to be free at the point of delivery, despite the costs associated with running them, so that there are as few barriers to access as possible.”
The Trust is seeking donations of £25k in order to sustain the project in its current form, with £10k already pledged by the National Lottery and £5k already raised by Forget Me Notts staff. Applications have been made for further grants with results expected in late summer.
Through business and community donations, the Trust hopes to sustain the vital service long into the future, with every participant attending representing a burden eased.
Aaron Taylor-Penycate, a former service user with mental wellbeing programme Notts In Mind, began volunteering with Forget Me Notts before working part-time with the Trust.
“I think it means that carers don't feel alone anymore,” Aaron said, reflecting why the programme is so popular.
“They don't feel like they're the only person dealing with these challenges, or that their loved one is the only person behaving this way. They have a group of friends to share their journeys with.
“I don't think there's much else out there like this for people. The sessions provide something that's needed and has been neglected for a long time.
“It's so unique to come to that supported environment. I think that, to have that cut back in any way, would be a huge disappointment for everyone involved. We’d all appreciate this programme continuing to exist as it does now, a model which is so successful."
*******