Dunbar Dementia Carers Support Group (established in 2015) aims to provide support for anyone who is caring for a family member or friend who is living with a diagnosis of a dementia related condition. Pre-covid our two groups would meet weekly in the Bleachingfield Centre in Dunbar to provide companionship, fellowship and stimulation. We worked hard during Lockdown to provide continuity for our group members with weekly phone calls; publishing regular newsletters, providing deliveries of craft materials, gardening supplies and takeaway afternoon teas, moving on to organising both one-to-one and small, socially distanced, outdoor meetings within Scottish Government guidelines, when this was permissible.
Thanks to Scottish Government funding via the Connecting Scotland initiative, Corra funding and a generous donation from Community Windpower/BeGreen and The Life Changes Trust, ipad and Zoom training was rolled out to our members, which enabled us to hold weekly Zoom meetings. Since our regular face to face meetings were reintroduced in June 21 (now one large group) we have continued to hold regular Zoom sessions (Tuesday afternoons) which have enabled our group members to retain their valuable IT skills.
Funding from the Baillie Gifford Community Awards Programme allowed us to adapt and continue to look at new ways to support this wonderful group of people.