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Anyone interested in volunteering in Forest Hill or around?
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kateangela


Posts: 2
Joined: Dec 2007
Post: #1
31-10-2012 02:35 PM

Hi

I am looking for reliable and caring volunteers to support our clients with dementia in the Forest Hill area by becoming volunteer befrienders. Befrienders visit a person with dementia in their home, providing social contact and supporting them to undertake leisure activities and daily tasks. I am also looking for volunteer escorts to join a pool of volunteers supporting people to attend hospital and other medical appointments or community groups.

As a volunteer you will be helping to improve the day to day life for a person with dementia. The organisation I work for, Lewisham MindCare, provides information and support to people with dementia in the London Borough of Lewisham.

If you are interested in volunteering locally please call me on 020 3301 7770 or email info@mindcare.org.uk. You will need to complete an application form, attend a short training session and complete a CRB check before you can start your role.

It would be great to get some local people involved!

Katie

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Scorpion


Posts: 161
Joined: Nov 2005
Post: #2
11-11-2012 01:30 PM

Hi,
Is this part of the recent drive to recruit volunteers as mentioned below?

Please note that I posted the below text on another site earlier so, basically am re-quoting myself lol

What a great reason for quoting yourself though Wink

"There is a current TV advertisement highlighting Dementia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR-cn1j7BVw and also there has been Media reports of an initiative to recruit volunteers to help people with this condition
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20236034

It would not be for everyone. I know it can be heart-breaking at times, BUT, truly worthwhile and rewarding also!

Here is a link with information:-

http://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/

and here is another one:-

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/

I am thinking of volunteering myself as, daily, in my work at Lewisham Hospital, as a HCA (Health Care Assistant) I come into contact with many patients suffering from dementia. It is, sadly, a usual part of my working life in a hospital setting but, I only see a certain amount of it's toll on people. I would like to help more, if I can. One day, I too could be a person suffering from it.
It's a terrible illness and one that will, most probably, at some point, touch all of our lives"

Regards
Sue Love

This post was last modified: 11-11-2012 01:31 PM by Scorpion.

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kateangela


Posts: 2
Joined: Dec 2007
Post: #3
12-11-2012 10:37 AM

Hi there

The volunteering project I am working on is a project run by an independent charity called Lewisham MindCare (dementia arm of Bromley Mind) and is a partner in the NHS funded Lewisham Memory Service. The Memory Service is where GP's refer patients to when they have concerns about their memory so they can have further tests and also access support if they receive a dementia diagnosis.

It is not directly related to the national 'Dementia Friends' initiative that has just been launched as part of the PM's Challenge on Dementia. I believe the finer details of the Dementia Friends project are still to be worked out so I am not sure when they will actually start recruiting officially or what the Friends will be expected to do but you can register your interest, like you said.

Saying that, Lewisham Mindcare is part of the wider strategy to improve support for people with dementia across the country and money has been made available locally to develop services such as ours, including our volunteering programme supporting people with dementia to remain independent through providing befrienders and escorts.

I think it is great that you have been considering volunteering. If you would like more info, then please contact me again.

Katie

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