Leading housebuilder David Wilson Homes Mercia has donated £1,500 to Dementia Active as part of its Community Fund scheme.
Dementia Active, based in Banbury, offers a range of activity groups for people with dementia across Banbury and the South Northants area. With the aim of cultivating friendships, stimulating cognition and delaying the onset and progression of symptoms, these groups provide a much-needed space offering support to members. Crucially they give carers and families valuable respite time to themselves.
David Wilson Homes’ donation came from the Barratt Developments Plc Charitable Foundation, which is designed to support national and local charities, large and small, across the UK to leave a legacy in the communities in which the housebuilder operates.
The housebuilder’s contribution has been dedicated to the cost of providing the charity with a Tovertafel interactive light table. The table offers a transformative sensory experience that can be beneficial, encouraging movement, emotional wellbeing and social interactions.
Melissa Fazackerley, Trustee and Co-Founder of Dementia Active, said: “Dementia is an invisible disease with minimal support from the public purse. Our Centre aims to challenge this invisibility and will become a hub for sharing information about local services, as well as a drop-in service providing support and advice.
“Financial and volunteer support from local organisations, businesses and other charities continues to be absolutely crucial to our ability to function and provide a service. We are truly grateful for this donation from David Wilson Homes.”
Having to navigate the pandemic led the charity to adapt how it operated in aiding those in need of care.
Melissa continued: “Due to the medical vulnerability of our members, we were forced to close during periods of lockdown. We opened up as soon as we possibly could with covid safety precautions in place; shorter sessions and were unable to provide singing and dancing activities.
“For people with dementia, maintaining social distancing was difficult and it meant that the groups were probably a lot less fun than they are now!”
Dominic Harman, Managing Director at David Wilson Homes Mercia, said: “As a leading developer, donating to organisations and charities in the areas in which we build is vital, and Dementia Active is certainly deserving of the support.
“The work that the charity carries out is of extreme importance and we are more than happy to make a donation towards its Tovertafel interactive table and running costs so that the people of Banbury and the wider Oxfordshire area have access to the highest level of care.”
Dementia Active is located close to David Wilson Homes’ development The Pavilions, based on White Post Road in Bodicote.
To find out more about Dementia Active and the services it has to offer, visit the website at www.dementiactive.co.uk.
For more information about David Wilson Homes, visit www.dwh.co.uk.
