A huge thank you to members of Creake Encounters, a community group of people living with dementia and their friends, for taking on the making of colourful scarves for our care home resource, Joy in a Box.
Joy in a Box was first created as a gift for care homes during the pandemic, and is now part of our Culture Change in Dementia Care initiative. Delivered in a bright red box, it's an activity package that brings inclusive enjoyment, energy, relaxation, interaction, conversation, inspiration and happiness to care home residents, and encourages confidence and creativity in care staff. It contains twenty one activities, accompanied by especially created music playlists.
For several months, we’ve been at a loss as to how to source the beautiful, colourful scarves that come as part of Joy in a Box, without them being imported from distant places, manufactured without social justice, or costing too much for a care home setting. Step up, Creake Encounters!
Creake Encounters is a community social group for people living with dementia and their friends and families, based in South Creake, near Fakenham in Norfolk. Members have many skills, including, luckily for us, sewing! So, recently, the sewing machines have come out, the kettle has gone on, the cake has been sliced and Creake Encounters have begun to sew, with the ambition to carry on until “someone says stop”!
We are SO very grateful to all the members of Creake Encounters for agreeing to help us, and making this one of their social activities. We think you are amazing!
If you would like to find out more about Joy in a Box, filled with activities for people living with dementia and their carers, you can see more on our Arts in Health pages.
To find out more about Creake Encounters, you can visit the UK Network of Dementia Voices.