Keep up to date by looking at our Facebook for more information on different groups and services available to residents

Dementia Forum Dates:

• Hailsham Dementia Forum: Thursday 21^st April, 10am – venue to be confirmed
• Polegate and Willingdon Dementia Forum: Friday 29^th April 2022 – 10am – venue to be confirmed
• Crowborough Dementia Forum: Friday 6^th May , 10am - Oasis Community Church, Crowborough
• Wealden Dementia Action Alliance Meeting: Thursday 7^thJuly, 10am, Oasis Community Church, Crowborough
• Uckfield Dementia Forum: TBC

Please let us know if you would like to attend any of the above forum’s so we have an idea of numbers for each meeting, we look forward to seeing many of you at the meetings

Events:

Community Cafes:

Crowborough Community Café: Last Thursday of the month – 2-4pm at Oasis Community Church – 31^st March 2022

Polegate Community Café: First Thursday of the month – 2-4pm at Polegate Community – 7^th April 2022

Hailsham Community Café: Second Thursday of the month – 2-4pm at St Wilfrid’s Church – 14^th April 2022

If you would like any leaflets please do let us know and we can get some in the post to you as soon as they are printed. If you are part of the forums and would like to volunteer some time to help at the cafes please do let us know. They are lovely afternoons and a great chance to have a chat as well with our lovely residents.

National Dementia Action week booklet: This year the national dementia action week is during the 16^th – 22^nd May 2022

We will be putting together our booklet which will highlight any activity or group that is taking place during the week. Also a chance to advertise your service, please see attached the size of the advert. If you would like to be part of the booklet, we have attached the form for you to complete. Please send this back to us by Friday 25^th March. Any questions please contact us.

Dementia & Alzheimer's Support | Dementia Awareness - 3NDWG (3ndementiawg.org) – A group of people diagnosed with dementia from across the country who want to make a difference whilst they can. Support groups and webinars available to join in.

Music for the memory newsletter – See attached

Bluebell Walks – Leaflet attached with the opening dates for the spring

TODAY New Dementia Café, Withyham: New dementia café in Withyham, starting on Friday 11^th March at Kings’ Hall Withyham, 2nd Friday of the Month. Between 10:30 - 12:00. Please contact Julie Ruse if you would like to attend on 07584 013763.

Pine Grove Pictures – Golden Oldies!:The next film is on Tuesday 29 March, 1.45pm Easter Parade will be shown. A free afternoon of a classic film and refreshments. Kindly hosted by Pine Grove Pictures

Care for the Carers Conference: Join the Carers Voices Conference Week this March | Care For The Carers (cftc.org.uk)

Carers Group in Uckfield –Do you look after someone who couldn’t manage without your help. Come along and meet with other carers and share experiences. 4^th Tuesday of each month 1pm – 3pm. Victoria Pavilion Support Centre. You can bring the person you care for along to enjoy activities provided by the Sussex Support Service team while you take part in the group. Booking essential, call care for the carers on 01323 738390.

Eastbourne Dementia Peer Support Group, DEEP group: Langney, 1^st Friday of every month 2pm till 3.30pm – see leaflet attached for more information and how to join

Care for the Carers Making Memories: For people with dementia and their carers. Places can be booked by contacting Care for the Carers on 01323 738390 or info@cftc.org.uk. Care for the Carers Making Memories groups are now being held monthly at rotating venues: Diplocks Hall, Hailsham –28^th April, St James Trust Community Centre, Seaford – 12^th May, St Michaels and All Angels Community Hall, Bexhill – 16^th March and 15^th June

Saturday Social –Every Saturday at Victoria Pavilion in Uckfield. 2-4pm for some lovely refreshments and fun activities. Everybody welcome! (see Facebook post for more information)

Sporting Memories: Every Wednesday at Polegate Community Centre, 10-11.30am, please contact Emma Brooke –emma.brooke@sussexcricket.co.uk

Sussex Cricket Foundation are launching a new virtual Sporting Memories Club in 2022. As with our face to face clubs, the virtual option is open to anyone over the age of 50 who loves to reminisce about both playing and/or watching sport. This is the perfect option for those that would love to get involved but are unable to make it to in-person sessions. Sporting Memories via Zoom will take place every Friday morning 10-11am. For more information and the link to join please contact Emma Brooke –emma.brooke@sussexcricket.co.uk. We look forward to hearing all about YOUR sporting memories!

DISC presents Sing and Social: 3^rd Friday of the month 1030am till 1230pm @ The Robsack Centre TN38 9TW. Call May on 07874864898 or more information

Rotherfield: We’ll be having our next dementia friendly service at St Denys’ Church, Rotherfield on 16^th March at 2.30pm. A simple service of well favourite old hymns, prayers and a short thought for the day and as ever there will be refreshments afterwards to enjoy. Best wishes, Sandi, Revd Sandi Wickens Curate, St Denys’, Rotherfield with St Mark’s, Mark Cross, Telephone 07395 106514

Cuckoo Choir: We are the Cuckoo Choir and we have our own singing group to help us beat Parkinson’s! We meet every Monday morning between 11am and 1pm, at Diplocks Hall in Hailsham. If you’re living with Parkinson’s, or living with someone who is, do come and join us. You’ll find us a friendly bunch, and you don’t need to have any previous experience of singing in a choir. For more details, contact Debra Skeen (choir leader) at enquiries@debraskeen.co.uk or on 07710 548724 ( you can leave a message here, see attached the leaflet)

Know Dementia Community Moments cafes: Know Dementia’s cafes across East Sussex -Know Dementia Activities/Clubs our "Moments". Please ring to book your place as they are monitoring how many people attend. Tel. 01273 494300

Know Dementia Sporting Moments– Activities for families affected by dementia. Every Thursday, 10am-12:30pm at Victoria Pavilion Support Centre.

Online weekly peer support groups: Dementia Advocacy are supporting people nationally, providing a space for people with dementia to come together on a weekly basis using zoom to connect, to chat, laugh and cry together, providing essential peer support and advice using their valuable lived experience. To find out more please use this link or contact Aimee directly. Also if you are interested in setting up your own online support groups please contact Aimee and she is more than happy to give you some advice and guidance About Me | ADadvocacy dementia consultancy (dementiaadvocacy.co.uk)

Ivy House: Our Free Saturday Dementia Support Group, FREE Sing & Swing Every Friday 2.30pm – 3.30pm With refreshments. The Ivy Dementia Centre is now open at our new location, Gardner Street, Herstmonceux BN27 4RS – Monday – Friday 8.30am – 6.00pm. Ivy is an inclusive, social, holistic, activity led centre, providing dedicated dementia support. Please call 01323 431 801 for further information and to book your free taster day: April 2^nd

May 7^th and June 4^th . New Mothering Sunday lunch 27^th March – See leaflet attached for more information

Further Information:

Wealden statistics: Please click on the link for recent statistics on the number of people living with dementia in Wealden -Dementia Cases - LGInform

Association of Carers – Have a number of Android Tablets that we are able to loan out to carers who are waiting for, or are receiving one of our services. They loan these out for a period of six months and they come with a handbook and support from one of our volunteers if needed. Once the six months is up they can support carers to purchase their own tablet privately of support them to see if they are eligible for a Carers Personal Budget to purchase one.www.associationofcarers.org.uk |maggie@associationofcarers.org.uk.

Care for the Carers news:

Dates for your diary 2022:

· Young Carers Action Day – Wednesday, 16th March

· Carers Week – Monday 6th – Sunday, 12th June

· Carers Rights Day – Thursday, 25th November

Please check our website for information and resources. These will be available nearer the time of the campaigns: https://www.cftc.org.uk/ Staying informed with all things carer related: Please remember to look out for our monthly E-Newsletter. It is full of up to date carer related information. https://www.cftc.org.uk/resources-for-carers/information-for-carers/carer-enewsletter/

Dementia Dictionary: The Alzheimer’s Show are proud to support the Dementia Dictionary, a new free service helping to create an understanding of the Language of Dementia. In most forms of dementia the ability to speak normally will be impaired and therefore the brain will find new ways to communicate via actions, noises, behaviours and body language, this is called the Language of Dementia. The Dementia Dictionary “a freely available service” allows us to translate these into a recognised language. Read more here or visit www.dementiadictionary.com for more information and find out how to help.

Alzheimer’s Society Stats on East Sussex:https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/sites/default/files/2019-07/ldp_east_sussex.pdf This is a great report giving you statistics for East Sussex

Driving Miss Daisy Eastbourne provides a Driving and Companion Transportation Service like no other, with door to door collection, care, support, and at your own pace with our trained, qualified and licenced staff. We are bridging the gap between taxis, public transport, and other voluntary agencies. Our aim is not only to drive you to your destination and back home again but accompanied trips whilst on your visit. Whether it's a trip to the hairdressers, an assisted shopping trip, a hospital appointment where we accompany you to the department and wait while you consult with the practitioner or attend the appointment with you, a trip to the seaside, airport, local garden centre, the school run, visiting friends and family, and many more, we can help! For more information, please see attached the leaflet.

Helpful information from the Alzheimer’s Society:

• Dementia Connect Support Line 0333 150 3456
• Talking Point – An online forum for people affected by dementia
• The Dementia Guide in other languages:https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/publications-about-dementia/the-dementia-guide-other-languages
• Information on looking after yourself as a carer. Available in both written and audio formats.
• Dementia guide has been released:the_dementia_guide_872.pdf (alzheimers.org.uk)

Wealden Dementia Action Alliance Charter:Please sign up to our charter to have your amazing work recognised within Wealden and show how we are all working in partnership to make Wealden a dementia friendly place to live.

Alzheimer’s Society Directory:Make sure your group’s and activities are listed on the Alzheimer’s society’s directory for the Dementia Connect service:https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/find-support-near-you/dementia-directory

If you have any information you’d like to share with this database, please send it to us. We would like to share as much local information to you all as possible. If you have any virtual groups, news, information pop it over to us and we can put it onto this email to share out.

Thank you for taking the time to read through the above information.