Community

Edinburgh Dementia Group creates lasting memories

Members from a local Alzheimer group have been given the chance to record memories they can treasure forever through a new partnership with Fort Kinnaird shopping centre.

Ahead of Dementia Awareness Week, which takes place from 29^th May to 4^th June, staff from our centre and members from Alzheimer Scotland and their carers spent an afternoon at Radio Forth studios creating and recording soundbites about their lives in Edinburgh.

Each individual had the opportunity to talk about their hobbies, relationships and working lives, and receive a CD and a calendar of their memories as a keepsake to share with family and friends.

Fort Kinnaird is one of eight shopping centres identified by our co-owner British Land to launch this project in partnership with The Bauer Academy at Radio Forth – a national training provider who provide innovative, bespoke training programmes delivered by media industry experts. The partnership forms part of a wider initiative to give staff the chance to become Dementia Friends.

To date, 41 team members at our centre have attended information sessions hosted by Dementia Friends – a national programme organised and run by Alzheimer Scotland – which aims to provide greater understanding of the impact of living with dementia.

Lindy Watson, Deputy Centre Manger at Fort Kinnaird said: “With an estimated 850,000 [1] people living with dementia in the UK, Fort Kinnaird shopping centre is committed to giving people with dementia and their carers enjoyable shopping and dining experiences. Projects like this help to educate all of us about the condition and connect with new people from the local dementia community.

“Staff within our centre management, security and services teams who have completed their Dementia Friends training wear a forget-me-not flower badge so they’re identifiable and on hand to support our shoppers with dementia, their friends, family members and carers.”

Alan Midwinter, Service Manager at Alzheimer Scotland said: “Our aim is to help people live well with dementia and I think it’s really important for businesses to have an awareness of this and a good understanding of how dementia affects the lives of the individual and their families.

“Working with the team from Fort Kinnaird shopping centre to document our members’ memories was a wonderful experience, and I know the recordings are something that they and their families will treasure for a long time.”

[1] https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/info/20027/news_and_media/541/facts_for_th…

Last updated Wednesday 7 February, 2024