WESTBURY Music for the Mind is appealing for more people living with dementia and their carers to join the group.
The group meets once a week on Thursday after- noons during term times, to offer those living with de- mentia and their carers the opportunity to experience the therapeutic effects of making music together and enjoy some time in the week when they are not a ‘person with dementia’ and a ‘carer’.
The group meets every Thursday during term time at the Westbury Leigh Com- munity Hall from 2pm to 3.30pm. Members pay a nominal £2.50 on the door.
Members and their carers meet up before the group starts for a catch-up over tea and biscuits before they enter into a light warm-up in preparation to sing a variety of songs from around the world. The group learns songs and techniques from week to week, building upon them in each session, with the group often split- ting into smaller groups to sing rounds.
The group, led by singing teacher Caroline Radcliffe and organiser Nick Water- house, has been running in Westbury since 2012. The group is run by Alzheimer’s Support who fundraise to keep it going.
Nick said, “We would welcome anyone who wants to get involved. Carers have told me that this is often the best hour of the week as it gives them that space to chat and compare notes. Caroline’s work genuinely provides joy to people whose lives sometimes don’t make sense. We’re a good mix of 50% carers and 50% members, and new members often find it hard
to tell who is the person with Alzheimer’s and who is the carer, as everyone gets so involved. We’re all mem- bers really.”
Caroline added, “While everyone is coming here for the singing, you really can’t underestimate the social as- pect. People arrive half an hour early each week to have a tea and chat with one another and it’s a time to check in with one another and see if they are doing ok. We’re all friends here!
“It can sometimes take three or four visits some- times for someone to feel comfortable enough to fully join in, but we are very wel- coming here and we all have different singing abilities, everyone is welcome and you will learn new tech- niques, harmonies, and songs together.”
Nick said, “It’s not about being good at singing, it’s about getting joy out of singing and being together with people who are going through a similar experience.”
Stephany Bardzil, head of communications and fundraising support at Alzheimer’s Support added, “This group is so friendly and welcoming thanks to some lovely volunteers and it allows people experienc- ing the challenges of de- mentia to enjoy some uplifting time together, make new friends and have some fun.
“The group is not just a ‘singalong’ ; we learn new songs, members learn about musical concepts and styles, sing harmonies, and learn new words. Much of this is down to the extraordinary power of music to ‘unlock’ parts of the brain, but much of it is to do with Caroline’s approach.
“She treats her dementia groups like any other choir,
starting with physical and vocal warm-ups, teaching new material in short sec- tions that build up each week, introducing chal- lenges in the form of partner songs, rounds and har- monies. The results are ex- traordinary and profound, and all done with humour, a light touch and with great respect for her singers and a deep understanding of the challenges they face.”
Eunice and her carer Pat, come to the group each week. Pat said, “Eunice has been coming for years now. Her favourite song to sing is The White Cliffs of Dover by Vera Lynn, but we sing all sorts here. This group re- ally is so important, I get quite emotional seeing peo- ple coming out of their shell and enjoying things.
“Coming here makes you realise you are not alone, for both carers and those living with dementia and it’s a good place to compare notes with other carers.”
Sharon and her husband Peter also attend the group. Sharon says, “We’ve been coming since Easter last year and we come back every single week! It’s quite hard to be in a bad mood when you’re singing, so this definitely helps Peter out. It’s amazing seeing people who usually struggle to con- verse, completely step out of themselves and sing songs all the way through.
“I came with a bit of trep- idation as I’ m not a good singer, but you soon realise that actually we can all sing a little bit, you just need the encouragement to do it!”
Wessex Water Commu- nity Foundation have part funded the group following a £2,160 donation in De- cember 2022.
The foundation say, “The community fund aims to supports community-based activities or projects that meet a local need and seek to improve the lives of local people. Bringing communi- ties together and helping support people through the cost-of-living crisis, the fund is part of the Wessex Water Foundation which provides dedicated funding for projects across the Wes- sex Water region every year.”
If you would like to do- nate to Alzheimer’s Support so they can keep funding clubs such as this, visit: www.alzheimerswiltshire.or g.uk/Appeal/donate
