Sidmouth ‘memory’ event raises public’s awareness

Successful Sidmouth memory loss event leads to call for regular sessions

REPRESENTATIVES from local health organisations, the NHS and the Lions Club of Sidmouth gathered at the Methodist Church Hall in Sidmouth for a morning to raise awareness of memory problems on Tuesday (October 19).

The event, called What is on your Mind, was put on in an attempt to reach out to the public in the local area to give people a better understanding of the memory problems people suffer and how they can be managed.

The local groups attending the event included Sidmouth Cottage Hospital, Age Concern, Alzheimers Society, the Sid Vale Carers Support Group, Devon Carers Link, Parkinsons Group, the Sidmouth Health Link, the Sidmouth Memory Caf� and the Sidmouth Voluntary Services.

Calls have come from those who attended the event for a regular such event to be introduced and to give each represented group a chance to give individual talks about different issues related to memory loss.

“It went very well indeed,” said Ian Skinner, Lions Club president and chairman of the Sidmouth health and care team. “I was pleased to see the number of local organisations that provided literature for people to take with them,” he said.

“All the organisations that attended were kept busy answering questions and handing out literature.”

Many of those attending the morning said that they wanted it to be run at least twice a year, and for each organisation to be represented there to give individual talks about different memory loss issues.