People living with dementia are being asked to share their memories at a drop-in session at Burnley Library this month, for a project which aims to create a recorded history of people’s everyday experiences.
‘Memories of Burnley’ will be held on Monday 15 May from 2pm to 4pm during national Dementia Awareness Week. The free event is aimed at capturing accounts of Burnley people’s working lives, as part of the ‘Lancashire Not Forgotten’ project.
Along the three themes of where we live, work and play, the project aims to record and save the memories of people living with dementia, prevent them from being lost, and preserve them for the future.
The aim is to record people’s stories on film and audio to be shared as part of a digital archive, and inspire original artwork.
Many old photographs and objects will be available at the event to prompt people’s memories. Visitors are also welcome to bring along any of their own photographs to talk about. Craft sessions will also be available for anyone wishing to take part.
Internationally-acclaimed artist, Morwenna Catt, will be interpreting people’s memories from the session and adding these to the two new pieces of textile artwork she is creating for the project. These will be exhibited later this year.
Julie Bell, Lancashire County Council’s head of libraries, museums, culture and registrar’s service, said: “The Lancashire Not Forgotten project includes everyday life, work and play, as well as the local heritage connecting the present to the past. People living in Burnley are being asked to remember their working lives.
“It seemed appropriate to host an event during Dementia Awareness Week. This is a superb opportunity for people to unlock, revive and record memories from their lives, and be able to share them with their family or with others in the future.
“Sometimes we just don’t realise what lovely memories we have, or how important they are. This project will make sure they are recorded and preserved forever.
“Losing your cherished memories is one of the most upsetting aspects of dementia, so being able to reminisce and talk about parts of their life can be very beneficial to anyone living with this condition.
“There are also people who may have dementia, but are not aware of it, and this project is one of the ways for us to create a dementia-friendly Lancashire and make sure that people get support, in a variety of ways, to help them live well with the condition.
“It would be great if people in Burnley could share their memories of their working lives, so that we can have a really rich first-hand account.”
Delivered by libraries, museums and archives staff from Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and Blackpool Council, Lancashire Not Forgotten will run until October. It has received a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £49,000.
There are currently over 10,000 people in Lancashire who have been diagnosed with dementia, but it is estimated that the actual number of people with the condition is much higher.
Friends and relatives, who may have noticed changes in the memory or behaviour of someone they know, can find information, advice and support by visiting www.lancashire.gov.uk/dementia
For more information about the Lancashire Not Forgotten Project or the drop-in session please email glynischarlton@gmail.com. Refreshments will be available at the drop-in session.
This year’s Dementia Awareness Week runs from Sunday 14 May to Saturday 20 May.
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