Trust staff raise funds with walk for dementia
Staff from across the Trust, as well as system partners and service users, are donning their walking boots to raise vital funds for dementia.
A Walk for Dementia Challenge has been set up by the Memory Matters Foundation.
Organisers are still looking for people to sign up for the challenge, which is running until 26 August.
It is estimated that there are around 10,000 people in Cornwall living with dementia.
If enough people sign up for the challenge it is hoped a mile will be walked for every person that has dementia.
The Memory Matters Foundation is supporting the Cornwall Dementia Partnership.
It is hoped that the money raised from the challenge will go towards developing a dementia specific website for Cornwall. The website will provide information and guidance. Healthwatch undertook research in 2023, and produced the 'Hear Our Voice' report. This looks at how to improve dementia and memory loss services and support across Cornwall and supports making dementia everybody's business .
Allison Hibbert is a clinical lead at Launceston Community Hospital. She is also the voluntary chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Dementia Partnership Board.
"We are fundraising this year for a website. Healthwatch undertook research in 2023 and lots of people with dementia and their carers fed back to us that it's really hard to find where services are general information for Cornwall.
"And so, we thought, where can we get all the information together and link all of the other websites and information for Cornwall in one place? So, we're raising money to put together a special website for Cornwall."
With fundraising already well over the £10,000 mark, the money raised will also go towards helping voluntary dementia services in Cornwall.
Allison added: "We would like another onset dementia group. There are music groups, walking groups, lots of voluntary groups that support people in Cornwall.
"We'd like to raise some money to help them as well. So, lots of us have been out walking this summer."
Allison was joined by other fundraisers from the Trust and some of their family members on a fundraising walk along the Camel Trail recently.
The group met at the Memory Café, at the John Betjeman Centre in Wadebridge.
The café, which is celebrating opening 17 years ago, opens every Saturday for people living with memory loss and their family and friends.
The walking group were introduced by Tim Jones, Memory Café lead.
There was then a walking-themed singalong as the walking group made their way out to begin their walk from Wadebridge to Padstow on the Camel Trail.
Some were brave enough to walk there and back, covering over 10 miles on the day.
Matron Sarah Washer (covering Launceston Community Hospital and Stratton Community Hospital) has been fundraising and was part of the walking group.
Joined by her dog, Chester, Sarah has now walked over 50 miles to raise money for dementia.
"Dr Allison Hibbert has encouraged a few of us to take on a challenge, to raise money and awareness for dementia. To walk 100 miles in 100 days and raise money.
"I have a passion for dementia care in our community hospitals. We have a lot of patients who are living with dementia.
"They have high level enhanced care needs. They need a lot more support. It's important that we get that right.
"They have the right care, at the right place, at the right time. So, raising this type of awareness helps us to be able to do that."
Paul Cadger is the dementia and education lead for Cornwall. He also joined the group on the walk along the Camel Trail.
He runs 15 miles at the weekend and is also preparing to run the Southampton Marathon.
"You do not just talk the talk; you walk the walk. We're trying to raise money to get lots of support for services that are struggling with funding at the moment.
"We know there's lots of evidence to say these things really help people to have live a good quality life for the best they can with a horrible diagnosis like dementia.
"Everybody is doing such an amazing job raising money kind of for various things. It's about raising awareness as well."
The group was also joined by Nicola Thompson. She is a Parkinson's specialist practitioner. Nicola was also accompanied by her husband, Patrick, who was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia.
"It is something a lot of people, even GPs, have not heard of.
"There are really good services and we've been supported by the admiral nurse service that comes through Dementia UK.
"But it's finding all of these people who can support.
"That's the tricky bit when you have dementia yourself or you're supporting someone and you're still working as well. Time is really precious.
"The website is a brilliant idea. Anything that makes it easier to access and quicker to access will make a big difference."