15.07.2021
Last week we met with Kawal Singh, a former headteacher and partner of former Mayor of Brent Harbhajan Singh, to discuss plans for the new dementia hub at Barham Community Library.
The Dementia Hubs project is a multi partner (CAD Brent, Ashford Place, Barham Library and Brent Carers Centre) effort to establish two community dementia hubs in Brent. The project is supported by the Big Lottery Fund.
Since beginning in March 2020 the Dementia Hubs Team have been supporting the community in Brent, in a variety of different ways, all with an aim to spread awareness about dementia and join CAD Brent in their journey to a dementia-friendly borough!
We were involved, with Ashford Place colleagues and dementia café organisers all over Brent, in delivering the Big Dementia Picnic, a week-long event, welcoming back those living with dementia and their carers to dementia cafés, memory lounges and support groups across the borough, during the easing of coronavirus restrictions. At Christmas, we partnered with Quintain Ltd to obtain Christmas hampers for people living with dementia in Brent.
Our information and advice officer has helped many of our clients with access to services and benefits. We’ve even been lucky enough to afford some clients discounts where possible. Our information, advice and guidance officer continues to provide practical day to day support to those living with dementia and their carers.
Recently we achieved success in obtaining just under ten thousand pounds, from CVS Brent and the National Lottery Community Fund, to support a reboot of the City Mission dementia cafe, a vital community resource in Harlesden. In addition to our dementia work, our team were recently able to facilitate a redirection of surplus food to a new ‘free hot meals’ initiative in Harlesden.
Our meeting with Kawal was a vital part of the next step of our project, the opening of the new dementia hub in Sudbury Town. A ‘one-stop shop’ for dementia information, advice and guidance for the whole community. Barham will be a hub for all those living with dementia and carers in the north of the borough, with our home base at Ashford Place being developed as another hub in the south.
We were able to discuss the building plans, and strategise outreach capabilities, as well as making time for some wonderful home-made food!
Keep your eyes peeled for more information regarding the new hub on the Community Action on Dementia Brent social media and website!
For anyone interested in the Dementia Hubs Project, and the work that we do, our contact details are listed below:
Debbie Howe - Project Manager
07848 743000 (Monday-Friday)
Contact Debbie for information about the project and/or to discuss how you can work with CAD to make Brent Dementia Friendly.
Declan McLaughlin - Development & Sustainability Lead
07949 313150 (Monday-Thursday)
Contact Declan for information about funding, business structure and development for your dementia group/cafe/event.
Clive Warrington - Information, Advice and Guidance Lead
07423 290900 (Tuesday-Friday)
Contact Clive for benefits, information, advice and guidance if you are living with dementia and/or a carer of someone living with dementia.