A Dementia Friendly Town

What better way to find out more about Dementia, but to ask someone involved with Dementia in Billericay. The RotaKids Club, which our club sponsors at Quilters School, is run on a voluntary basis by Maureen Lee. Mike Wade is headteacher at this very successful school, which has been awarded the Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland Excellence Award several years running. Among the initiatives in which the children are involved, are visits to Abbeyfield Care Home, the Men’s Shed, the Memory Café at the library, Human Kind Café, an intergenerational Choir and Pen Pals with lonely people.

When I spoke to Maureen, I discovered that she is also the chairman of the Billericay Dementia Community. This alliance brings together all the organizations and groups that are working with people with dementia in Billericay.  Maureen invited David Holroyd and me to their bi-monthly meeting in early September held at the Canon Roche Centre.

A Window into Dementia Support in Billericay

The first thing that struck me as I walked into the meeting was how crowded the room was, so crowded that extra chairs were needed. This was a good indication of the local support.  Everyone introduced themselves and described what they and their organizations were doing. I could not write quickly enough to record all the local activities, but the following list gives a flavour of the amazing work going on in the Town.

• Billericay Library runs a monthly memory group.
• Anna’s Place provides a drop-in centre and was started by our club member Rtn. Rev. Margaret Fowler
• The Forget Me Not Activity Club meets three times a week in Mountnessing.
• Human Kind Café is a Dementia Friendly Café and a Drop-in Centre providing activities, companionship and intergenerational lunches.
• NHS Mental Health Services run a Memory Clinic, the waiting time for which has come down to three/four weeks. They refer patients to organizations within the town. GPs refer patients to them; there is also self-referral. They have recently attended Billericay Football Club, U3A, Gateway Radio and the Men’s Shed.
• The Alzheimer’s Society provides a wide range of support
• Quilters School Head Teacher Mike Wade ensures his pupils are dementia friendly with the school activities previously mentioned.
• The Men’s Shed.
• Parkinson’s Club.
• Caremark, where our own club member Olu Akindeinde provides care services.
• Billericay MP Richard Holden recently ran an Older Peoples Fayre at the Chantry Centre at which a number of the organizations attending the meeting had stands.
• Radfields Care provides care services and admin support to this group.
• Bluebird Care provides care services.
• Radford Home Care also care services.
• Anisha Grange Care Home.
• Home Instead is a care provider.
• Essex Inclusive Dementia Communities

Lisa from the the Alzheimer’s Society explained that they had previously provided an action plan to gain the accreditation for areas to become Dementia Friendly Towns. This scheme has now finished and instead, Essex County Council has taken over the role of accrediting ‘Essex Inclusive Dementia Communities’. We were promised more news on this at the next meeting.

Learning from Down Under

Maureen Lee mentioned that she had been contacted by Rotarian Patrick Rothon about PALZ (Professionals with Alzheimers) Clubs in Australia and she was keen to set up a small group to see whether one could be established in Billericay.

When IPP Patrick Rothon was in Australia, he met Cathy Roth, a member of Geelong Central Rotary Club and a Past District Governor. Cathy has been awarded the “Order of Australia” for a lifetime (so far) of service to others.  Cathy has set up a score of PALZ Clubs in various Australian towns, is National Chairwoman of PALZ Australia and helped to establish the first UK PALZ in Staffordshire UK.

When Cathy Roth’s husband was diagnosed with dementia he had to immediately stop practising as a surgeon. Cathy discovered that there were no clubs or drop-in centres that catered for professional and high performing sufferers. So, she set up a club where such people could listen to quality speakers to encourage continued mental stimulation, companionship and provide relief for carers.

What Next for Rotary

Stephen says “I came away from the meeting with fresh ideas as to how Rotary can help those suffering the effects of dementia. Firstly, we could assist with the setting up of a PALZ Club. Secondly, we could work further with Maureen’s Billericay Dementia Community and thirdly, further fundraising to support local projects.

It was a revelation to hear all the good work going on locally and I look forward to further involvement locally.”

BREAKING NEWS

Billericay to form UK’s second PALZ Club - On the 12th of September a Zoom call linked Cathy Roth, Liz Holdsworth (Chair of PALZ UK), Maureen Lee, Patrick Rothon and Stephen King. At the meeting, a plan was developed to set up a PALZ Club in Billericay. Maureen will lead a small team including a Rotary member to rapidly bring the club to fruition.

Watch this Space.

“United in Kindness” Badge Project

“The UNITED IN KINDNESS badge will be a powerful symbol of what makes Billericay special: people who care for one another. Every badge is a promise - a commitment to kindness, empathy and connection”. So said Mike Wade, Headteacher of Quilters School at the inaugural meeting on September 23 of a group intent on introducing the badges to the town. Also attending was Billericay MP Richard Holden, Rotary Club of Billericay President Stephen King, Rtn. Olu Akindeinde and representatives of local care organisations.

It’s proposed that the badge be worn with pride by staff, volunteers and members of the many clubs and groups that make Billericay such a thriving community.

Listen out for more news on this exciting project.

By President Stephen King