Two years ago, as president of Narberth and Whitland Rotary Club, Mary Adams approached Pauline Griffiths and Emma Baines at Narberth Museum and started the Living Memory Group on March 10, 2017.

It was not an easy journey, as people who had become isolated because of illness don’t find it easy to socialise and come out of the house.

The Rotary District Governor at the time, Maggie Hughes, asked Narberth and Whitland Rotary Club to do something in the community that was dementia friendly.

The club started with a Dementia Friends Session and the idea blossomed in that spring 2017.

One person turned up to the first session. Mary Adams commented: “We were more volunteers than members. For the first 12 months we ran with two members and their carers, but we couldn’t give up because we were making a real difference in their lives.

“We are now delighted to welcome The Bloomfield Lee Davies Centre Group and now our numbers are increasing, plus at last people are becoming aware of the group in our wider community”.”

Mary added: “I would like to thank my fellow volunteers John, Yvonne, Huw and Gloria who were with us at the start and have remained loyal all the way through. We have a wonderful team of volunteers now who come every two weeks and I would like to thank local architect Rotarian Ken Morgan for helping with a rota for Rotarians and photocopying of our song books.”

Thanks are also due to Rotarian Huw Jones and his musician colleagues, ‘The Elderly Brothers’, for their humour, voices and songs, boosting the singing sessions once a month. They are all members of Whitland Male Voice Choir and use the LMG sessions for choir practice!

During the past year, involvement with the Narberth Primary School has become a regular feature. Mrs. Nia Ward, headteacher, kindly allowed the introduction of the school RotaKids into the LMG sessions. The children’s amazing Intergenerational interaction with members of the elderly group has been a real joy to witness. The adults and the juniors enjoy craftwork and painting sessions together. The results are proudly displayed in the school corridor (see photo).

The four people for the first year to almost 30 at the last session. It is making a real difference in the community. The group is now about to achieve charitable status. The LMG is now going to celebrate its second birthday at the Plum Tree Tea Rooms in Tavernspite Garden Centre on Thursday, March 21, at 1 pm. Entertainment until 3 pm will be provided by the ‘Elderly Brothers’ musical quintet and it is hoped that some of the School RotaKids will be able to join them.

President of the Narberth and Whitland Rotary Club, Tony Ensom, has taken an active part in supporting the sessions along with many of his members. He is convinced that the LMG has a great future. If any carers in the community would like to come along with persons needing support or companionship on March 21, they would be most welcome. It is entirely free for anyone to join in.

Treasurer of LMG, John Llewellyn, commented: “If locals know of anyone living with dementia or other life-limiting problems, they ought to contact the Rotary Club or the Narberth Museum and they will be given information on how to join in.”

Mary Adams is so proud to have set up this group two years ago. She still gets goosebumps thinking about it. Last week she witnessed in the primary school the wonderful interaction with children from Narberth School and the members of the LMG.

She said: “The children greeted everyone when they came in, handed out Welsh cakes, made teas and coffees, entertained with poetry and song, then sat and chatted to the elderly members of the group. One young boy stayed until everyone had gone home”.”

The members of the Narberth and Whitland Rotary club can be rightly proud of what they set up two years ago.

Last month, the Rotary Club moved further by setting up an inaugural meeting for local businesspeople to become aware of how to become ‘Dementia Friendly’ in their local premises. President Tony Ensom chaired a meeting at the Plas Hotel, Moorfield Road, Narberth, at which over 25 representatives listened to Mrs. Sam Barry, a dementia champion from Neyland, outline steps which businesses could take to encourage and support people with dementia.

She explained that people do not suffer with dementia. They live with it. Dementia is a disease of the brain which can take many forms, but it affects perception and the ability to function in everyday situations.

The session lasted about one hour and delegates were informed how to alleviate and reduce stress for carers and people with dementia by taking a little more time to recognise the symptoms and then to assist the customers in a friendly way to make their shopping experience pleasurable and less challenging.

It is planned to hold a further session for other businesses within the next month.

Narberth is well on its way to becoming the first ‘Dementia-Friendly Town in Pembrokeshire’.