Some of St Joseph’s, Pudsey SVP members
Growing Old Grace-fully led two short sessions recently for people wanting to know more about Growing A Dementia-Friendly Parish at St Joseph’s, Pudsey and St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Shipley.
Dementia Friends from Shipley’s St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Thank you to everyone who supported these hour-long sessions which resulted in 21 new Dementia Friends. Having Dementia Friends in a Parish is a great way to change the way people think, act and talk about dementia and is a real start to becoming a Dementia-Friendly Parish.
It’s easy to assume our parishes are dementia-friendly… how could we who aspire to follow Jesus think it is acceptable to exclude anyone? Yet people living with dementia, and their families, do often have that experience of feeling marginalised. Being dementia-UNfriendly doesn’t happen because people want to exclude someone. It’s often a lack of understanding about dementia or even misplaced kindness. To be a Dementia-Friendly Parish is to engage in the process that will find ways to include people with dementia, so that they are helped to experience life in all its fullness.
Growing a Dementia-Friendly Parish is always work in progress. It will take on a life of its own, develop and grow. Congratulations to the Parishes of St Joseph’s and St Teresa Benedicta for starting the journey.
If you would like to book a one hour information session on Growing A Dementia-Friendly Parish , or simply want to know more, please call Rachel on 07702 255142 or email growing.old.gracefully@dioceseofleeds.org.uk .