Burley in Wharfedale Dementia Action Group
Minutes of meeting held on 23 January 2020
Present: Val, Susan, Quentin, Sue, Vernon, Paula, Mary
Apologies: Niccola, John, Ann, Norah
Quentin informed the meeting that Eileen has gone into Burley Hall on a month’s trial. She seems to be settling in very well.
1. Minutes of last meeting – accepted as a correct record.
2. Matters arising
a) SPECAL Practitioner – Karen Thornton has been invited to the February Meeting.
b) Christmas lights – Susan suggested that it would be nice if we had a Christmas decoration to go up with the other lights in the village as a way of advertising the group. It was agreed that we would like a square design with the “Burley Dementia Action Group” wording and the Forget Me Logo in the middle. Susan is to get costings.
3. The Memory Tree
i) Review from recent sessions
December and January. All meetings were very enjoyable. The January meeting was held in the Methodist Church and was very well attended. Agreed that carers will be asked to provide written background information to help volunteers when trying to engage with members if they become restless. Janet and Niccola to arrange. Susan will talk to Dot about providing more song sheets.
ii) Memory Bags
Some of the volunteers suggested that it would be nice to have some Memory Bags with more personalised content for the people attending the MT. If they were not engaging with Bob’s activity these bags might spark some reminiscences for them. Val to discuss with Norah. Susan will contact Elizabeth to see what she has in her Memory Bags.
iii) Pet Therapy
Niccola to buy a robotic cat.
iv) Monitoring key information for Carers – Quentin reported that this was ongoing.
Susan has asked for some copies of the Scottish Dementia checklist.
Lisa has catalogued all the information we hold and will put it in files to make it more accessible. Thanks to Lisa for doing this.
v) Transport
Thanks were given to Burley Good Neighbours for providing transport for some of the people attending the MT.
vi) Requests for participation in research studies
Angus Sturrock has visited Vernon and Sue as part of his research into improving the assessment of people with sight difficulties and/or hearing difficulties for their cognitive abilities. He would like to meet our carers’ group. Susan to arrange.
vii) Sunflower Lanyards - donated by Marks and Spencer are available. ID cards are on order.
4. Reports of Events and Visits since last meeting.
a) Ladies Please Christmas Concert – This was well attended and enjoyable. Val will organise a date for the cheque to be presented at the beginning of a MT meeting.
b) Wind in the Willows - not known if anybody went.
c) DFCs Peer support meeting – They discussed Asset Based Community Development. This looks at the assets, skills and types of organisations in the community and attempts to organise them to do things together for the community. Burley has a Community Leaders group that is mapping what is going on in Burley.
Guidance on Mystery shopping is being produced.
John Lewis had asked the Alzheimer’s Society to audit their stores.
Susan was asked to feed back on the value of this group, facilitated by the Alzheimer’s Society.
d) Arts4dementia – Paula attended this event in London. “D-IAGNOSIS! Arts to Preserve Wellbeing” has been commissioned to tour UK museums and conferences to get people talking about their dementia concerns, to combat trauma and isolation and achieve reform of the diagnostic process for dementia. GPs and social prescribers are being urged to refer patients to weekly arts programmes early in the diagnostic process. It is believed that by sharing cultural interests with others facing similar challenges, the shock of diagnosis will be less, as they co-create dance, drama performances, art exhibitions and give concerts, despite dementia.
e) Meeting with Sally Hughes, Burley & Woodhead school learning mentor – Sally is very keen to work with us to provide Dementia Friendly sessions for the children in year 6. Val & Norah are to do a session. Sally has also invited people living with dementia and their carers to go for a roast dinner on a Tuesday. It may be possible for a group of children to visit TMT for joint activities. Susan to
arrange date/s.
f) Wizard of Oz, Tues 14 Jan – Everybody enjoyed the performance. Thanks have been given to everyone at the Playhouse.
g) Sue Moorchild, Social Prescriber – Susan has met with her and informed her of the work that we do.
5. Upcoming Events and Dates
a) DF Information sessions - Burley Oaks in May. Full Parish Council, date to be arranged. Val has emailed Ghyll Royd but has not heard back. Val to chase up. Val and Norah to follow up contacts with the other organisations.
b) Sleeping Beauty pantomime – 22 people are going.
c) BDAG AGM – it was decided that we needed to move the date from 26 March to Thurs 23 April so that Niccola, as Treasurer, could attend. Susan to ask Niccola if she is available on this date. Quentin wishes to step down as chair as long as someone else shows a willingness to fill the role. All posts will be up for election so if anyone would like to take on the positions of Chair, Vice-chair, Treasurer,
Secretary or Minutes Secretary, please get in touch with Susan. Quentin will approach Sylvia to discuss her position.
d) Dementia Action week 11 – 17 May – The date we requested for our community event has been double booked. Susan to follow up.
6. Treasurer’s Report
Our bank statement as at 31st December 2019 reveals a balance of £7,534. The accounts are more or less written up but don’t quite balance yet (only a small difference for me to find).
The end of year balance doesn’t include the Wizard of Oz subsidy (still need the claim from Val), the Christmas choir payment or the reimbursement of monies collected for the Bolton Abbey walk. It also doesn’t include a significant chunk of expense owed to Susan over a couple of years.
I will get the accounts written up soon but need one or two items before I can complete them and present them to our auditor in preparation for the AGM.
7. Building Dementia Friendly Communities
Update on engaging business - We need the logos to be the same as on the T shirts and banners. Susan will coordinate this for headed stationery. We also need a list of all the businesses and organisations. Mary to ask Plastic Free Burley if they have one. Val to approach BADCOT and Burley Business Group.
Update on painting steps – Val has contacted various people, has permission from some and is waiting for others to come back to her.
Dementia Friendly walks - Quentin will investigate the Tuesday one hour Health Walks.
8. Correspondence and publicity
a) Banner/T shirts – Norah to meet her graphic designer contact next week.
b) BDAG website updating – Lisa has done a good job on this.
9. Any Other Business - none
10. Date of next meeting: Thursday 27 February at 2pm at the Parish Centre.
Minutes of meeting held on 23 January 2020
Present: Val, Susan, Quentin, Sue, Vernon, Paula, Mary
Apologies: Niccola, John, Ann, Norah
Quentin informed the meeting that Eileen has gone into Burley Hall on a month’s trial. She seems to be settling in very well.
1. Minutes of last meeting – accepted as a correct record.
2. Matters arising
a) SPECAL Practitioner – Karen Thornton has been invited to the February Meeting.
b) Christmas lights – Susan suggested that it would be nice if we had a Christmas decoration to go up with the other lights in the village as a way of advertising the group. It was agreed that we would like a square design with the “Burley Dementia Action Group” wording and the Forget Me Logo in the middle. Susan is to get costings.
3. The Memory Tree
i) Review from recent sessions
December and January. All meetings were very enjoyable. The January meeting was held in the Methodist Church and was very well attended. Agreed that carers will be asked to provide written background information to help volunteers when trying to engage with members if they become restless. Janet and Niccola to arrange. Susan will talk to Dot about providing more song sheets.
ii) Memory Bags
Some of the volunteers suggested that it would be nice to have some Memory Bags with more personalised content for the people attending the MT. If they were not engaging with Bob’s activity these bags might spark some reminiscences for them. Val to discuss with Norah. Susan will contact Elizabeth to see what she has in her Memory Bags.
iii) Pet Therapy
Niccola to buy a robotic cat.
iv) Monitoring key information for Carers – Quentin reported that this was ongoing.
Susan has asked for some copies of the Scottish Dementia checklist.
Lisa has catalogued all the information we hold and will put it in files to make it more accessible. Thanks to Lisa for doing this.
v) Transport
Thanks were given to Burley Good Neighbours for providing transport for some of the people attending the MT.
vi) Requests for participation in research studies
Angus Sturrock has visited Vernon and Sue as part of his research into improving the assessment of people with sight difficulties and/or hearing difficulties for their cognitive abilities. He would like to meet our carers’ group. Susan to arrange.
vii) Sunflower Lanyards - donated by Marks and Spencer are available. ID cards are on order.
4. Reports of Events and Visits since last meeting.
a) Ladies Please Christmas Concert – This was well attended and enjoyable. Val will organise a date for the cheque to be presented at the beginning of a MT meeting.
b) Wind in the Willows - not known if anybody went.
c) DFCs Peer support meeting – They discussed Asset Based Community Development. This looks at the assets, skills and types of organisations in the community and attempts to organise them to do things together for the community. Burley has a Community Leaders group that is mapping what is going on in Burley.
Guidance on Mystery shopping is being produced.
John Lewis had asked the Alzheimer’s Society to audit their stores.
Susan was asked to feed back on the value of this group, facilitated by the Alzheimer’s Society.
d) Arts4dementia – Paula attended this event in London. “D-IAGNOSIS! Arts to Preserve Wellbeing” has been commissioned to tour UK museums and conferences to get people talking about their dementia concerns, to combat trauma and isolation and achieve reform of the diagnostic process for dementia. GPs and social prescribers are being urged to refer patients to weekly arts programmes early in the diagnostic process. It is believed that by sharing cultural interests with others facing similar challenges, the shock of diagnosis will be less, as they co-create dance, drama performances, art exhibitions and give concerts, despite dementia.
e) Meeting with Sally Hughes, Burley & Woodhead school learning mentor – Sally is very keen to work with us to provide Dementia Friendly sessions for the children in year 6. Val & Norah are to do a session. Sally has also invited people living with dementia and their carers to go for a roast dinner on a Tuesday. It may be possible for a group of children to visit TMT for joint activities. Susan to
arrange date/s.
f) Wizard of Oz, Tues 14 Jan – Everybody enjoyed the performance. Thanks have been given to everyone at the Playhouse.
g) Sue Moorchild, Social Prescriber – Susan has met with her and informed her of the work that we do.
5. Upcoming Events and Dates
a) DF Information sessions - Burley Oaks in May. Full Parish Council, date to be arranged. Val has emailed Ghyll Royd but has not heard back. Val to chase up. Val and Norah to follow up contacts with the other organisations.
b) Sleeping Beauty pantomime – 22 people are going.
c) BDAG AGM – it was decided that we needed to move the date from 26 March to Thurs 23 April so that Niccola, as Treasurer, could attend. Susan to ask Niccola if she is available on this date. Quentin wishes to step down as chair as long as someone else shows a willingness to fill the role. All posts will be up for election so if anyone would like to take on the positions of Chair, Vice-chair, Treasurer,
Secretary or Minutes Secretary, please get in touch with Susan. Quentin will approach Sylvia to discuss her position.
d) Dementia Action week 11 – 17 May – The date we requested for our community event has been double booked. Susan to follow up.
6. Treasurer’s Report
Our bank statement as at 31st December 2019 reveals a balance of £7,534. The accounts are more or less written up but don’t quite balance yet (only a small difference for me to find).
The end of year balance doesn’t include the Wizard of Oz subsidy (still need the claim from Val), the Christmas choir payment or the reimbursement of monies collected for the Bolton Abbey walk. It also doesn’t include a significant chunk of expense owed to Susan over a couple of years.
I will get the accounts written up soon but need one or two items before I can complete them and present them to our auditor in preparation for the AGM.
7. Building Dementia Friendly Communities
Update on engaging business - We need the logos to be the same as on the T shirts and banners. Susan will coordinate this for headed stationery. We also need a list of all the businesses and organisations. Mary to ask Plastic Free Burley if they have one. Val to approach BADCOT and Burley Business Group.
Update on painting steps – Val has contacted various people, has permission from some and is waiting for others to come back to her.
Dementia Friendly walks - Quentin will investigate the Tuesday one hour Health Walks.
8. Correspondence and publicity
a) Banner/T shirts – Norah to meet her graphic designer contact next week.
b) BDAG website updating – Lisa has done a good job on this.
9. Any Other Business - none
10. Date of next meeting: Thursday 27 February at 2pm at the Parish Centre.