13.08.2021
You would have thought that planning a picnic in August would be a reasonable bet for fine sunny weather. It was not to be. In fact, it rained most of the time. However, our people living with dementia and carers are a resilient bunch and we went ahead with the scheduled picnic in the lovely grounds of Barham Library where we were welcomed by the Barham Library Memory Lounge luckily, we were able to use the spacious room where the Memory Lounge holds its weekly events, and on a few short occasions we ventured out when the rain stopped. The picnic was planned as a bit of fun, a get together and a chance for all of us to regroup in pleasant company, shared lunch and a shared conversation about what we want to achieve in the next twelve months as we now, cautiously regain control of our mental, physical and social wellbeing. The picnic was the second of three Dementia Conversations, funded by the Edward Harvist Trust and aims to enable people living with dementia and carers to agree on a strategy that best meets their needs. The top three concerns shared included difficulty in accessing GPs, desperate need for more get togethers like the picnic, and more support for carers. These points and more will be presented to our colleagues in CNWL and Brent Council in a bid to resolve them.
