Milton Keynes dementia group creates memories to treasure forever

People from Milton Court care home and their carers, together with staff from Kingston Centre, spent a morning recording soundbites about their lives.

Each participant had the opportunity to talk about their hobbies, families and experiences living in Milton Keynes. At the end of the session, they received a CD of their memories as a keepsake for their family and friends.

Kingston Centre is one of ten shopping centres identified by its owner British Land to take part in this project in partnership with Bauer Academy - a national training provider which provides innovative, bespoke training programmes delivered by media industry experts.

The partnership forms part of a wider initiative to give the team at Kingston Centre the chance to become Dementia Friends. To date, seven members of staff at Kingston Centre have attended Dementia Friends information sessions which aim to provide a greater understanding of the impact of living with dementia.

Jamie Turner, centre manager at Kingston Centre, said: “Dementia is a condition that affects many people across the community. Here at Kingston Centre, we want all our shoppers to have an enjoyable experience, which is why we are committed to supporting the Dementia Friends programme.

“We’re proud that many of our colleagues wear a forget-me-not flower badge which means that they’re equipped with the skills they need to support our shoppers with dementia and make sure that they - and their carers, family and friends - have an enjoyable experience at our centre.”

Claire Jenkins, head of community engagement at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “It’s fantastic that the team from Kingston Centre and Milton Court Care Home have united against dementia by documenting memories of people affected by the condition. It is a fantastic way to engage with the local community and it’s a perfect way to mark Dementia Action Week.

“In the UK, one person develops dementia every three minutes and almost everyone knows someone whose life has been affected. Yet too many people face the condition alone, without adequate support. At Alzheimer’s Society we are determined to change this, as it is vital that people living with dementia feel included in their local community and able to live the lives they want.

“This Dementia Action Week, Alzheimer’s Society is calling on everyone to unite and take actions, big or small, to improve the everyday lives of people affected by dementia.”