Local people affected by dementia have an extra special reason to celebrate Dementia Awareness Week this year, thanks to support from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.
Earlier this year Dignity in Dementia – an award-winning social enterprise – received £193,000 of National Lottery funding to expand its service across Cumbria, employing additional staff to conduct home visits for people who have recently received a diagnosis of dementia.
Staff will then work with individuals to co-create personalised engagement plans. The organisation, first established in 2014, provides a rich range of ‘dementia-embracing’ community activities, such as singing, reading, and dancing groups.
The funding will also enable Dignity in Dementia to provide support – including personal advice and peer networks – to local people affected by ‘Young Onset Dementia’, who tend to be under the retirement age. There are estimated to be at least 42,000 younger people with dementia in the UK.
The South Lakes-based social enterprise is also offering family carers courses, at different locations across Cumbria, to help attendees better understand how to connect and maintain fulfilling relationships with relatives with dementia.
Lesley Gill, Director of Dignity in Dementia, said: “When someone receives a dementia diagnosis, they can feel engulfed by the enormity of their situation and experience overwhelming feelings of hopelessness. However, we believe that, with the right support, people with dementia can continue to be engaged and lead lives they value. Thanks to National Lottery players, we can change perceptions around dementia and to help individuals and families to continue to live a life with meaning and joy.”
Duncan Nicholson, Head of Regional Funding for the North-East and Cumbria at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “As the UK’s largest community funder, we focus on the strengths people bring, what they can contribute, what they value. This ethos applies as much to people with dementia as it does to everyone else. That’s why we’re proud to fund projects like Dignity in Dementia that help bring people together to lead happier, healthier lives.”
The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. Last year it awarded over £127 million to projects across the UK supporting older people.
To learn more about Dignity in Dementia please click here in www.dignityindementia.org or email [email protected]. To find out more about The National Lottery Community Fund, please visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk
