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Following a change in staffing at Age UK Bristol, we are thrilled to announce we have reached agreement to transfer their Memory Connections service to Alive. This transition ensures the continuation of top-quality services aimed at supporting people with low to moderate dementia to maintain their cognitive ability through stimulating activities and social engagement. Age UK Bristol have been running two groups in Bristol for the last four years, providing vital support to those who are living with dementia, and we are delighted we can continue these groups.

Continuity of Excellence in Dementia Support

Memory Connections uses Maintenance Cognitive Stimulation Therapy which is designed to maintain memory skills, build confidence, and offer opportunities for socialisation in a supportive environment. These weekly two-hour sessions incorporate a variety of activities, including arts and crafts, reminiscence therapy, quizzes, music, and movement, all aimed at promoting mental functioning and overall wellbeing.

These groups naturally fit with the expertise and activity Alive runs, and we are delighted we can continue a much-needed service. We are renowned for our innovative approaches, intergenerational work, social and therapeutic horticulture sessions, and community-based initiatives that connect people in care homes to broader communities. These groups take our service to the next level and we hope to expand these groups to a wider area.

A Continued Quality Service for Dementia Care

This partnership reflects a unified vision to create a dementia-friendly community in Bristol, where people with dementia are supported to live well and remain connected to their communities. The transition promises to enrich the lives of participants and provide continued respite and support for carers. Age UK Bristol and Alive Activities are working together to ensure that the transition is seamless and works well for all of the current members.

Looking Ahead

Age UK Bristol’s final Memory Connections session will be held on Wednesday 12^th March 2025 and the service will then transfer to Alive Activities who will be running Memory Connections sessions from 19^th March.

Alive will run Wednesday groups at Westbury Fields in Westbury-on-Trym, and Thursday groups in Henleaze.  

For more details on timings and venues, please contact Carmel on 07861 385 543, email info@aliveactivities.org, or find out more here.

It was brilliant to see the BBC coverage of our Lullaby Circle yesterday on BBC Breakfast, Points West and Radio Bristol with Joe Sims.

Filmed at Deerhurst Care Home, it was a great chance to share how truly magical these sessions are at connecting parents and babies with care home residents for moments of joy and togetherness. Just look at those smiles!

The Lullaby Circle is part of our STANd project, funded by The National Lottery. The programme will see the development of a series of pilot projects in care homes and communities linking older and younger people, new training models in intergenerational delivery and project planning, and the founding of Bristol and North Somerset Intergenerational Linking Networks. 

Find out more here.

Are you someone who is experiencing memory difficulties? Awaiting or adjusting to a dementia diagnosis? Or supporting a loved one who is?

If so, you are very welcome to join us in our free informal monthly peer support group where you are invited to:

This group is open to South Gloucestershire residents who are aged 55+ experiencing memory difficulties or living with a recent dementia diagnosis, plus their care partners.

If you are interested in attending this group or would like further information, please email: julie@aliveactivities.org

The FREE annual event, Let’s Talk Dementia, is back in Bristol on Saturday 17th May!

Join us on the day where you will find dementia specialists giving short talks, meet knowledgeable exhibitors, and join engaging activity sessions for people living with dementia.

Let’s Talk Dementia is a free, public information event that offers attendees the chance to access dementia information in a friendly and informal setting.

A one stop event for all things dementia, bringing together experts from across the South West in care, health, research, legal matters and much more.

This event is in partnership with fellow Bristol charities BRACE Alzheimer’s Research and Bristol Dementia Action Alliance.

Find out more via BRACE here.

Join us at the Bristol Royal Infirmary for monthly intergenerational tea parties and creative story-telling, all while admiring the history of Bristol.

A chance to connect with others over tea & cake, as well as explore local history and stories. This opportunity is for young people aged 5 and under with their grown ups alongside patients at the BRI.

Starting March 2025. The first 3 sessions are as follows:

March 10th 1pm-3pm
April 7th 1pm-3pm
May 12th 1pm-3pm

If you would like to book your FREE place for you and your toddler, please email: mel@aliveactivities.org

We can cover the costs of travel if local, or parking fare.

Learn more about our STANd project here.

As National Activity Providers & Professionals Week celebrates the incredible work, compassion and commitment of activity providers, we asked some of our team what the role means to them.

Sam, Eeva and Jacqui are three of our amazing facilitators and their activity sessions in care homes and across the community bring smiles, comfort and joy to so many older people. Here’s what they said…

Sam

Having retrained as a community dance practitioner last year, I feel very lucky to share my joy of dancing and music with people. Seeing people smile the moment they hear a favourite tune is the best feeling you can get.

Having cared for my Mum who had dementia, I know just how much music and dancing can help people relax by bringing them back into happy memories. Now I get to hear lots of amazing stories: from the excitement of seeing The Beatles live, to hearing how people met their partners at the local dance. I’m so lucky to be able to do this as my job.

When people find it difficult to express themselves, dancing provides a different way to communicate. I love to see how playing music helps people to connect with others.

Eeva

My work with 0-104 year olds has always got the first focus on wellbeing and learning ‘sustainability’ in relation to ourselves/our bodies.

I like teaching movement to ‘ordinary people’ who might very well say at first, ‘oh, I’m not a dancer!’. It is very rewarding to discover, together, where everyday movement becomes something else, something with meaning, with feeling and the effect is felt in a smile or an uplift in mood.

Through the work with Alive, I have been lucky to make many a heartful connection with people in their care settings and hopefully my sessions have contributed to the elders’ overall sense of wellbeing and belonging!

Jacqui

Knowing that I will have brought some extra cheer, smiles and kindness through touch, conversation and beautiful music is a wonderful feeling.

Making those special connections with individuals and groups, that really need uplifting and human warmth, fills my heart with joy.

We’re thrilled to announce that we will be returning to Birmingham in March for the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards.

Following on from a triumphant 2022 which saw us winning the Dementia Care Award for our dementia-friendly allotment in Brentry and Technology Award for our Alive on Demand service, 2025 sees two of our gardening projects shortlisted:

Abi’s work at Sanctuary Square Garden with the Bristol Royal Infirmary is up for the Collaboration (Integration) Award.

Guy’s project with the University of Bristol’s Brigstow Institute, Hoppiness: Brewing with Care Homes, is up for the Development and Innovation Award.

Excited for another opportunity to see both Guy and Abi out of their gardening clothes, we are especially proud of our team and wish them and all the other nominees the very best of luck.

Read about our 2022 awards here.
Learn more about the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards here.

Since last we spoke, Bristol has been hit by its first frosts of the year and some quite lairy winds, forcing our growing spaces to hunker down for some rest. We, on the other hand, and those who come to our sessions, certainly haven’t been doing the same.

Read on for some of our autumn highlights – we’ve been busy!

Wellspring Settlement

The Wellspring Settlement gardening group recently welcomed the new Gardening for Health worker to her first session. Harriet will be with us now every week, helping us with session delivery.

We’ve already enjoyed collaborating on community bulb planting around the centre and a bug hotels workshop.

We’ll be heading out locally foraging materials to make wreaths soon – then returning to base to get creative.

North Bristol Dementia-friendly Allotment

Session sizes have been a roller-coaster over autumn. In the middle of November, we had our busiest session of the year, with 26 people joining us. The less busy sessions have been a welcome chance to reflect on the season and make plans for 2025.

Our volunteers continue to make Brentry the success it is by instilling a sense of community through a warm welcome to all, so an especially heartfelt end-of-year thank you to all of them.

BRI Sessions

With the support of donations from the public and involvement from UHBW volunteers, we have managed to replant the living wall in Sanctuary Square, where we deliver our BRI sessions. 

We’ve also been at UK Dementia Congress 24 to share learning and inspiration from the project. We hope it will encourage others to bring gardening to patients with dementia in acute hospitals. 

South Bristol Dementia-friendly Allotment

The Talbot Road site has grown some bumper crops this autumn and has become home to a thriving wildlife community. 

We have loved engaging with the allotment community and supporting our participants with our wonderful volunteers who have helped make the space so bountiful and healing.

Hoppiness Project

The Hoppiness Project culminated in two beautiful sessions celebrating our collective endeavour with parties. We spent the sessions crafting hop-themed bunting together (because whoever heard of a party without bunting?). Then, we sampled some of the beer our hops helped make. Except for one woman who was adamant, “It’s not as good as Northern beer,” it was a resounding hit!

ICYMI, a team from The Guardian visited one of our Hoppiness sessions in September, producing a short film they published on social media. Check it out on Instagram or TikTok.

Laurence Hill Health Centre

The incredible wildlife garden at LHHC featured in the Trinity Arts Nature in Newtown series, showcasing how local older people benefit from the beautiful plants and abundance of biodiversity onsite. Check out this inspiring video showcasing the project.

As well as weekly green craft activities and further improving the space for the local wildlife, we’ve also been working hard developing the terrace for the wellbeing of NHS staff.

Weston General Hospital

Our latest opening! Following the success of our work at BRI, we’re excited to announce that we’ve now launched dementia-friendly weekly gardening sessions at WGH as well. 

Thanks to help from wonderful volunteers and hospital staff, our work here is already proving to be hugely impactful for patients. 

Our initial focus was beautifying the Rainbow Garden, a staff wellbeing sanctuary. We are now delivering sessions indoors to keep patients warm over winter.

Wondering what to buy your loved one this Christmas who would love to travel but is unable to? Pre-orders for the Athens Tabletop Travels box are now open!

Tabletop Travels is a multi-sensory and interactive travel box with a selection of food, drink, pamper and activity items designed with and for older people facing barriers to travel. Built in partnership with Alive Activities and University of Bristol this research- driven box aims to intrigue, entertain and boost wellbeing through meaningful at-home activity. With multi-sensory items accompanied with audio, video and written guides to explore.

Just £35 + free postage to UK Mainland.

Get your limited edition Athens-themed box today before they fly off by clicking here.

Watch a virtual walkthrough and see highlights of our brilliant exhibition: Celebrating 15 Years of Alive.

Held from 7 October to 14 November 2024 at our home in the Create Centre, our exhibition took a look back across our history from our very first community projects, to our work in care homes, dementia-friendly allotments, and everything in-between.

A huge thank you to everyone that visited, we have been blown away by the response from our community and couldn’t have been more proud to share it with you. As always, we are incredibly grateful to all our funders, supporters, trustees and team of staff and volunteers. 15 years of such important work; we couldn’t do any of it without you.