The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Unexpected boost for Kirrie dementia programme after showcase.
Connections programme gets international showcase as Covid spin-off
Pioneering work being done to support people with dementia in Angus has reached a global audience in an unexpected spin-off from the coronavirus pandemic.
The Kirrie Connections programme has been showcased online as part of an international conference which had been scheduled to take place in Sydney.
In 2019, Kirriemuir became the location for Scotland’s first meeting centre.
The pandemic ended the range of groups but officials adapted quickly to the challenges of staying in contact with members.
Chief executive Graham Galloway said: “It has been an incredibly difficult six months for people living with dementia, who have been amongst the worst hit by Covid-19 in terms of their health and wellbeing.”
The team has been involved in collaborations with bodies including the Community Makers website developed by the Alzheimer’s Society and the Dementia Research Institute.
It also had a poster presentation accepted for the International Dementia Conference, which would have been happening in Sydney, but has been run virtually instead.
“There were 6,000 people registered for it from across the world so it was a great opportunity for our work to be seen,” said Mr Galloway.
“Quite early on we decided to print out a newsletter to keep in touch with people and sent it out to them.”