Wellington becomes a 'Dementia Inclusive' town

Wellington in Somerset is on route to become the first “Dementia Inclusive” town in the South West, thanks to a huge grant from the National Lottery ‘Reaching Communities’ Fund- this means that every single person who buys a lottery ticket is responsible for this incredible opportunity.

Reminiscence Learning, an award-winning charity supporting people with dementia and their families, has been awarded £279,788 by the National Lottery ‘Reaching Communities’ Fund to drive the ambitious project forward over the next three years.

Chief Executive Fiona Mahoney said today: “This is the most fantastic news for us and the town – to be honest, we’re still in shock at the moment!”

A Dementia Inclusive Community is where the local community supports people living with dementia – everyone from the Local Authority to shops and businesses - to fully participate in society.

The money will help the charity appoint two new officers and work towards opening a High Street hub in central Wellington, which can be a drop-in point for anyone wanting help in understanding dementia and how to deal with the next steps.

There is also a plan to deliver through every letterbox in the town a “Supporting Your Dementia Journey” booklet, which will provide crisis line numbers and advice on topics like “What is dementia?”, a brief overview of signs, symptoms and types of dementia for early recognition, large-print signposting info and services descriptions.

Dementia awareness workshops will be run for local businesses and organisations.

The charity will expand its “Archie Project”, which has been enhancing the links between schools and Wellington’s older residents for years.

Clear and colourful signage with short bursts of “dementia awareness prompts” will be put up around the town to help people living with dementia, and businesses will be offered design and signposting advice for their shops and offices to enhance the shopping experience of those living with dementia.

There will be quarterly ‘Town Talk’ open forums hosted in both central and outlying Wellington venues, providing an open and empathetic platform where people can reach Village Agents, Adult Social Care, Adult Mental Health, local care providers, local solicitors and NHS representatives in one place for signposting queries and one-stop information.

“It is about making a real difference for people living with dementia and their families, so they don’t feel isolated, especially those living within the wider or more rural communities” added Fiona.  “And sometimes, simple things like signage will be an enormous help.

“We want to get to a point where every shop, every workplace, every public space in Wellington is dementia inclusive.”

This project comes on top of the work that Reminiscence Learning has been carrying out in the town and surrounding area since it was set up in 2003.

And the charity is keen to point out that this still needs to be funded to continue.

“Grateful as we are for this National Lottery money, we still need to fund the services we already provide, and so we still need people to support us in any way they can.”

At the heart of the charity’s work is a range of specialist services and bespoke training courses designed to educate individuals at all levels of ability. These sessions are delivered to healthcare professionals, carers, volunteers, family carers, businesses, organisations, councils, the NHS, schools and the general public.

Over the next few months, Reminiscence Learning will be working closely with the Wellington Town Council and other organisations, alongside a newly-appointed Project Coordinator to oversee the project and the community links.

“There is much to be done,” said Fiona. “And we are excited to get started on it.”

The team of staff, volunteers and trustees gathered together to celebrate the news and they are all looking forwards to implementing the plans for this ground breaking initative.