Westminster House Youth Club (WHYC) provides purposeful activities, both recreational and educational for young people aged 8-18 and aims to support them to make positive life choices. WHYC Director, Katie Worthington tells us about how the club became involved with Dementia Friends, and the importance of encouraging young people to contribute to their communities via social action.
“Our journey to becoming Dementia Friends began with a suggestion from Kate Heaps, a local volunteer who is a Palliative Care Nurse by background and Chief Executive of Community Hospice and is also a Dementia Friend. After hearing about the initiative and the impact it can make, we decided to hold face-to-face sessions, believing that our young people learn better that way.
“Becoming a Dementia Friend encourages young people to really think about a new topic, or about previous experience they have had in their families and try to understand things from the perspective of someone with dementia. They really enjoy the practical exercises like ’How to make a tasty sandwich’ and it creates a lot of discussion and debate! Overall, we have been surprised by how sensitive young people are to the challenges that people with dementia face. They seem to really appreciate that even if someone doesn’t remember you visiting them, they do remember that they felt good while you were there.
“At WHYC, we have been encouraging young people to become Dementia Friends for nearly a decade, supported by volunteers from Alzheimer's Society. Judy Harrington, a brilliant Dementia Friends Ambassador, has been running annual Dementia Friends sessions at our club. Over 150 young people, aged 11-17, have joined the Dementia Friends movement, which has significantly supported our intergenerational work with the local Ivy Club, which has over 100 members.
“Some of our young people have gone on to become involved in supporting older people through various projects, including:
• A joint coach trip to Herne Bay
• A festive parcel delivery organised by young people
• A New Year dinner for over 100 older neighbours, where young people helped serve the food
“I wholeheartedly recommend becoming a Dementia Friend. Dementia is not just an issue for older people; everyone needs to be more aware, not just so they can support people in their community, but also so they can signpost people they know to early help and support, if needed.
“Intergenerational work is a big part of our programme, and we understand the value of breaking down barriers. We are keen to keep encouraging our young people to be more sensitive to the needs of others and to contribute to their community via social action. We are very grateful to volunteers like Judy who make this possible for us through Dementia Friends!”
If you’d like to support any young people you know to become Dementia Friends, please contact us at [email protected]
