The Big Picture

Christmas 2020 and one of my presents was a ukelele. I can't read music and have only ever played the drums but I was super excited to start playing.

Almost 2 years later, I am still pretty rubbish, although I love practising. Most importantly though, I noticed that my mum, who has vascular dementia, would sing along to the songs I played and remembered many of the words perfectly, no matter whether I always hit the right notes!!

Having also seen the work of the Dementia choir, alongside my support of Dementia UK, I want to support Our Dementia Choir make this service more accessible to people in Nottingham and (hopefully) eventually across the UK. 

Personally I also want to take some control over witnessing a horrid condition I am powerless to change. So I'm taking myself off to France and Spain and walking the Camino Frances - The Way of St James. A 789km/500mile walk 

I'm no-one special. Not an endurance walker or ultra-marathon runner. Just a 50 year old woman who wants to make a difference and help raise more awareness (who occasionally also plays the ukelele!)

My Story

In 2019 my lovely mum was diagnosed with vascular dementia. 

She became one of the growing number of people living with the disease. (it's estimated over 850,000 people live with a form of dementia in the UK)

My dad is wonderful and gets on with things well. In 2020 I helped them relocate to be nearer to me in Shropshire so I can be close by to support too. 

Sometimes called 'the long goodbye', dementia sees you watch the person you love gradually disappear and slowly become a shadow of their former self. Ironically, the worse it gets, the easier it becomes for the person with the condition - and harder for those who love and care for them. The journey is a tough one and although I'm a pretty strong person, there have been many times I thought my heart had just shattered into a million pieces. 

At the time of writing, mum still knows who dad and I am, but forgets a lot and needs support with day to day things such as dressing. Her mobility is limited and she has recently been diagnosed with a faulty heart valve too. 

I am very aware that sadly, mum won't get better. She will continue to decline and we will probably need to call on additional support in the future. And that's why I have chosen to support Dementia UK, alongside my support of Our Dementia Choir.

I am walking because at a time where I have no control, this allows me to take some control back.

I'm supporting the charities above because at a time when there can feel like no hope, they provide hope. They focus on life and living, rather than death and dying. 

My mum always says 'where there's life, there's hope' and never truer are her words than now.

Here is their story:

850,000 people in the UK live with a form of dementia and despite the progress being made in the search for a cure, it is unlikely to come quickly enough to help them. For these people, what’s essential is to find the best way of living with their dementia.

Our Dementia Choir’s key objectives are:

Allow families and their carers to create new memories with and for their loved ones and raise their aspirations.

Support people living with Dementia through musical activities, whilst providing an engaging, friendly and safe space.

Providing an opportunity for those living with dementia to be part of a caring and
supportive ‘Family’ which has a blueprint for supporting other similar
organisations.

Produce resources that can be used by other groups to support people living with Dementia who are outside of our current catchment area.

Collaborate with some of the country’s leading experts for example Music for Dementia, Alzheimer's Society, and Dementia UK to support those living with dementia, including the
commissioning of medical research to prove the positive effect of music on the
brain for those living with dementia.

Raise the profile of dementia within the community, how it affects those living with the disease
and the effects on their families.

Our BAFTA-nominated BBC series and charity single
show that music has a truly transformative effect on people living with
dementia and with the right support and practice they can still learn something new. When the cameras aren’t there the choir is still very much active in showcasing the power of music, making trips all over the UK to perform at various organisations and fundraising events, and spreading an important message along the way but we need the help of donations to keep the choir running.

All donations are used to spread our message far and wide and invite more people living with Dementia to join us. This includes paying for rehearsal venues, refreshments, musical director, operational support, printing music sheets, choir uniforms, fundraising, marketing and transport for choir members to ensure our rehearsals and performances are accessible for all.

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