Memory boxes to aid Penrith day centre’s dementia sufferers
Another cheque has been issued by The Pride in Penrith Lottery in their mission to support local good causes. £500 has been donated to Tynefield Drive Day centre to help visitors enjoy memories of days gone by. The Staff at Tynefield Day Centre applied to the Lottery after hearing about the money that was available to local good causes in the town.
Elizabeth Royster, who has been a member of the Lottery since it began in 2010, sent in the application in the hope that some money would be available to help people with Dementia who attends the Day Centre. The money donated will be used to set up reminiscence boxes at the centre, which will have memorabilia from decades past to help stimulate memories. Boxes will hark back to times gone by covering the 1940’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s and will include memorabilia such as a wartime cookery book, newspapers, coronation and royal wedding memorabilia, fashions, vehicles of the decades etc.
People with dementia or memory impairment often lose their short term memory, but retain all or part of their long term memory and reminiscence boxes are a great stimulant. “We are delighted to have received grant funding from the Pride in Penrith Lottery. As people are living longer they are remembering not only the 40’s and 50’s, but we also have people who are only in their 60’s who may remember back to the 1980’s and the days of the Ford Capri and Kazoo. With the grant, we can create the reminiscence boxes, which will benefit everyone who attends the Day care Centre, but also residents of Greengarth, some of whom also have dementia. We include reminiscence in our activity range, but the boxes will help us provide extra visual stimulus.”
The Day Care caters for over 40 people per week aged from 64 to 93, all of whom live in the Penrith area. By attending Day Care they benefit from the stimulation that the therapeutic activities provide. Day Care also provides essential respite care and without Day care, many people would have to go into residential care much sooner.
The Pride in Penrith Lottery was set up to help local good causes, charities and not for profit organisations raise money for projects that will benefit local people and the local community. “We are delighted to be giving a grant to Tynefield Drive Day Centre. With the grant they we able help support the excellent work of the team at the centre who provide much needed respite care for people in the local community.” Comments Andy Jackson, Chairman of the Pride in Penrith Lottery.
The boxes will gradually be added to over time with new items of memorabilia. If you have something from days gone by that might help stimulate some memories that you would like to donate the Day Centre would welcome anything that could be used as part of the project. The Pride in Penrith Lottery is an independent, not-for-profit organisation which is run by volunteers from the town that are all passionate about making a difference to the local area and raising money for local initiatives.
To find out more about how to join or how apply for a grant and if your project qualifies for funding you can download guidelines and an application form from our website