Pennies

Recently, Digging for Dementia has received some very generous donations from supporters, and in the interests of transparency, I thought I’d share a quick update to tell you all how your money has been spent. Digging for Dementia has received an incredible total of £146.99 in cash and PayPal donations during the past few weeks, and I’m so grateful for the generosity of everyone who has donated to the project. You’re all fantastic! So far, the funds have been spent as follows:

 

3 litre hot water canister: £18.04

Giant noughts and crosses: £8.99

Giant playing cards: £2.97

Launch party cake ingredients: £10

Food, drink and crockery for launch party: £15

 

The remaining £91.99 will cover the costs of Digging for Dementia’s public liability insurance for almost five months, which is the project’s primary running expense, so I’m incredibly grateful to have that particular weight lifted! Huge thanks to everyone who has supported Digging for Dementia recently, whether by donating money or items from the Amazon wish list, baking yummy treats, attending the launch party (update to follow!), spreading the word via social media, or just offering support to me as I’ve been establishing the project. It’s so touching to see so many people getting behind Digging for Dementia, and I’m looking forward to showing you what your support has achieved!

 

Sarah

The final countdown!

After six months of planning and preparations, Digging for Dementia finally launches tomorrow afternoon! The launch has been a long time coming, and I’m equally excited and nervous to finally get the project started. The launch party will be held at the Valley Community Gardens in Swinton (directions here), which is also the home of Digging for Dementia, and we’ll have lots of exciting things going on, with refreshments, cakes, garden games and more! We’ll also have a gazebo in case the weather decides to be uncooperative, so don’t let the weather put you off! 🙂

 

As if the excitement of Saturday wasn’t enough, Digging for Dementia will also have a stall at the Society for Abandoned Animals’ Summer Fair this Sunday. Come down and say hello, meet some cute animals and support a good cause!

 

Digging for Dementia also received a mention on a local residents’ group website this week, which was rather exciting; I really want Digging for Dementia to be a fun, educational project for the whole community, so it’s great to see local people getting on board. Hope to see you at the launch!

Practicalities

Hi everyone!

 

As the Digging for Dementia launch approaches, I realise that some of you who are planning to attend might have some questions about the practical elements of the project, so I shall do my best to answer them in this post. If you have any further questions, please contact me using one of the methods on the Contact page. And now, without further ado…

 

* I will be providing basic safety equipment, such as gardening gloves and kneeling pads. All you’ll need to bring along is yourself, preferably clothed in comfortable outdoor shoes and weather-appropriate attire!

 

* I will also provide hot and cold drinks throughout each session, so if you have any preferences / dislikes / allergies, please let me know.

 

* I am a trained First Aider, and will have a kit on-hand in the event of an emergency. At the beginning of the first session, I will ask you to complete a consent form which will include a brief medical history, in order to make sure that I plan the sessions in accordance with your needs. All information will be securely and confidentially stored.

 

* On occasion, a volunteer or two may attend the sessions to assist in the delivery of activities and ensure that everyone in the group is properly supported. New volunteers will be introduced to the group so that everybody can become familiar before the person becomes a regular fixture at the sessions.

 

* One of the community garden volunteers has very kindly offered us the use of her bathroom, located across the road from the site, during the sessions. The adjoining community centre also has bathroom facilities, but is usually closed during weekends.

 

* I want the sessions to be as fun and educational for the group as possible, so if there’s a particular vegetable you’d like to grow, or a skill you’d like to learn, please tell me and I’ll do my best to incorporate it into the sessions. I’ve already had some requests from group members about learning certain skills, so I’ll make sure those are included in upcoming sessions.

 

* During one session each month, we’ll be conducting a nature-themed activity, such as willow-weaving, or growing mushrooms on old paperback books. If you’re particularly skilled at crafts or have a talent you’d like to share with the group, feel free to come forward!

 

I hope you’re all as excited about the launch as I am, and I can’t wait to get started!

 

Sarah

 

The Digging for Dementia Launch Party

I’m thrilled to announce that I will be officially launching Digging for Dementia on Saturday 17th August! The launch party will be held at the Valley Community Gardens, from 12pm-3pm, and all are welcome to attend. Join us for garden games, refreshments, and to find out more about Digging for Dementia. The gardening sessions will commence on Saturday 24th August; for more information about the sessions, click here.

 

The Digging for Dementia launch has been a long time coming, and I’m so happy and proud that the day is finally approaching! It wouldn’t have been possible without the kindness and generosity of everyone who’s supported the project so far, so thank you to everybody who’s been so positive and encouraging about Digging for Dementia, I really do appreciate it. I hope that you’ll attend the launch party if you can, and see what your support has achieved!

Thank you!

Earlier this week, I put out appeals on Twitter and Facebook for help with certain aspects of Digging for Dementia, such as buying supplies for the launch party, and raising money to fund the project’s running costs, such as insurance. I’ve been completely overwhelmed by the response I’ve received, from family, friends old and new, and even from people I’ve never met, who have been eager to pitch in and help with getting Digging for Dementia ready for its big launch on Saturday August 17th. Whether you’ve helped by enquiring about volunteering for the project, making a purchase from Digging for Dementia’s Amazon wish list, donating to the project via PayPal, or simply spreading the word via social media, I’m more grateful than I could ever begin to articulate. Thanks to all your help this week, I’ll be able to have everything ready for the Digging for Dementia launch, and to keep things running when the practical sessions start on 24th August, so thank you very much!

 

I now have five participants signed up to Digging for Dementia, with interest from several others, so I’m well and truly ready to launch! I’d like to keep the group relatively small, so I only have about three spaces left, though if I receive a significant amount of interest I’d be happy to run a second group on Saturday afternoons. If you’d like to register to participate, please email diggingfordementia@hotmail.co.uk. I can’t wait to get started!

 

Sarah