FREE Leisure Centre activities for people with Dementia and their carers

Yate Leisure centre runs FREE sessions on Mondays - with singing, tea and coffee and chance to use a range of sports facilities for people with dementia and their carers. To find out more ring or email Mike at the Leisure Centre - mike.jones@circadiantrust.org or 0300 333 0300

Living well with Dementia

A meeting for people who may or may not be affected by dementia and their carers and families will be held at Ridgewood Community Centre, 244 Station Road, Yate BS37 4AF at 1.30 pm on Wednesday 15 March 2017.

The guest speaker will be Dr Judy Haworth, Dementia Specialist (NBT) and there will be other specialist speakers.

If you wish to attend, please notify Ms. Liz Wilkie on 07593 980538 or 01454 319886 by 10 March.

Living Well with Dementia roadshows

Three ‘Living Well with Dementia’ roadshows will be held locally in 2016/17.

This initiative is part of Better Care South Gloucestershire, the programme to improve and enhance health and care services in our area. It’s run by the NHS and local authority, but it involves everyone: individuals and their carers, community and voluntary groups, health and care providers and their staff.

The first roadshow is on Tuesday 27 September 2016 2pm – 4.30pm at Ridgewood Community Centre, 244 Station Road, Yate BS37 4AF

The roadshows are intended for anyone who has recently been diagnosed with dementia, and their carers or families.


They will cover practical, emotional and health advice and information, plus reassurance that you’re not on your own.

Further events will be:

Wednesday 12 April 2017 2pm – 4.30pm at Hanham Community Centre, 118-124 High St, Hanham BS15 3EJ

Monday 10 July 2017 6pm – 8.30pm at BAWA Community Centre, 589 Southmead Road, Filton BS34 7RG

Contact details:
Email: cchengagement@southglos.gov.uk
Web: www.southglos.gov.uk/dementia
Phone: 01454 862356

Hands-on dementia reminiscence session 28 April

The Dementia Café at Yate Library from 2.30 to 3.30 pm on April 28th will be a real "hands on" session featuring items from Yate Heritage Centre's handling collection.

David Hardill (Community Heritage Officer) and Cherry will lead this session, which should bring back memories for many people.

Local Dementia Awareness Sessions - spend just an hour of your time

As well as sessions for particular local organisations, Yate's Dementia Friendly Town initiative is running three public sessions at Poole Court, Poole Court Drive, Yate BS37 5PP. There are still a few spaces left on the first session, which takes place this Tuesday:

Tuesday April  7th   10.30-11.30
Monday May 11th   10.30-11.30
Monday June 8th     10.30-11.30

For more information or to book your place please contact Debbie on 01454 866512  or debbiewoolley@southernbrooks.org.uk

(You'll probably be OK if you just turn up this Tuesday, but please book for sessions if you can)

Social initiatives grants from Frome Vale Area Forum

Some of the Community Grants from the Frome Vale Area Forum will go towards what could broadly be called "social initiatives" - projects to make people's lives a little bit better:

Yate Town Council's Dementia Friendly Towns Initiative and Community Car Share Scheme £3000

This grant will extend the work of the Development Worker in the areas of promoting dementia awareness and organising a community car scheme to provide a much needed resource for frail and vulnerable people.

Armadillo Youth Venue and Cafe - Apprenticeship £3000

The grant will contribute towards an already successful apprenticeship  scheme, part funding the cost of a Business Administration Apprentice for a year while they study for an NVQ level 2/3.

Sodbury and District Twinning Association - Youth Petanque project £475 

This money will part-fund an imaginative project for Key Stage 3 students and their families. It provides sport, French language and social skills, including pupils with special educational needs. Young people in Chipping Sodbury and Cesson are taking part in a project to talk about common topics and their cultures.

Flying start for Yate dementia project

There has been an excellent public reaction to Yate Town Council's "Make  Yate a Dementia Friendly Town" initiative, which Lib Dem Councillors Tony Davis and Sue Walker have been organising. Since recruiting Dementia Community Worker Debbie Woolley, they have convinced Yate Leisure Centre to train their staff, and the project team itself will be training the security and caretaking staff at Yate Shopping Centre and many others. The sessions only last an hour, but people who attend have found them really valuable.

Steve Webb MP says: "I and all of my staff have already been trained. I would really recommend this - in just an hour it opens your eyes to do many small things that can make a massive difference to family, friends, neighbours, customers and people we encounter every day"

If you are involved in an organisation or group that would like this free training, please email Tony Davis on tony.davis@southglos.gov.uk. Please contact Tony as well if you are an individual who would like to attend a public session.

As Tony commented "This is a really good start for Yate as a Dementia Friendly Town. Let's keep the momentum going and get as many people involved as we can"

Dementia friendly town progress

As a result of Sue Walker’s campaign to get action on dementia here we’ve raised money to pay for someone to work part time to lead the change. The worker has been appointed, Tony Davis has been trained as a dementia champion, and more than £100,000 has been raised in grants for action across the area.

Sue and Tony are now working on the big agenda of ideas YOU ‘ve given us for making Yate more dementia friendly. If YOUR group would like a talk about dementia awareness, please contact Tony or Sue.

Care Minister visits Minor Injuries Unit

Minister of State for Care and Support Norman Lamb met local councillors at Yate's West Gate Minor Injuries Unit recently. Norman is a keen supporter of health integration, advocating a single service rather than separate health and care services.

Local councillors told him that they were pleased with the new facility but felt it could be better used. Examples given included opening weekend afternoons to cater for sporting injuries, and providing a dressing changing service when local doctors' surgeries aren't open.

Norman then went on to Yate Library to hear about the Memory Café run by the Alzheimers Society.

Please contact Sue Walker or Tony Davis if you want to know more about making Yate a dementia-friendly town, or if you have ideas about extra services the Minor Injuries Unit should provide.

Norman Lamb with Sue Walker and Tony Davis, who are
spearheading the campaign to make Yate a dementia-friendly town.

Another Living Well with Dementia Roadshow

Another ‘Living Well with Dementia’ roadshow is being held, this time at Turnberrie’s Community Centre in Thornbury next Monday, 17 November. These roadshows offer practical, emotional and health advice aimed at anyone who has recently been diagnosed with dementia, their carers or relatives of people with dementia.

The free event runs from 10.30am to 1pm however places must be booked in advance by using one of the following methods:

• Book online at www.southglos.gov.uk/dementia 
• Complete the booking form found on the flyer/leaflet and return it via freepost 
• Email cchengagement@southglos.gov.uk 
• Phone 01454 862356 

For more information and details of future roadshows visit www.southglos.gov.uk/dementia

More on Yate's Dementia Friendly Town initiative

The launch event of the Dementia Friendly Town initiative was very well attended and many people found it very illuminating. Particularly striking was one couple who talked about living well with dementia.

Perhaps you missed the event, but you would still want to find out more? Please email Sue Walker on sue.walker@southglos.gov.uk or ring her on  01454 310980.

Help make Yate a Dementia Friendly Town

Are you living with dementia? What would make life easier for people with dementia in our town? If you have ideas for making Yate easier for people with dementia or would like to know more please come to a meeting in Yate Parish Hall (the middle hall just along from the little Tesco) from 2pm to 4pm this coming Monday, 29th September.

Sue Walker is leading a campaign to make Yate a more dementia friendly place. Sometimes it's about knowing how to assist when someone is a bit confused. Many of the things are little things like numbering in the car park so we can remember where the car is......Our aim is to get a group of residents together to identify what could be done, and then set out about getting buy in. The Shopping Centre has already offered to help, and the Library has set up a Memory Cafe. Now Sue has won funding from Yate Town Council to support the project.

So - what Sue needs now is YOU - and your ideas and experiences. Do please come. If you cannot come, but have ideas or would like to be kept informed please contact Sue Walker on 310980.