Huge turnout as DEEDS celebrate 10th Birthday at the Maldron Hotel

DEEDS based in the Old Library Trust in Creggan enjoyed celebrating their tenth birthday with a dementia-friendly Spring Dance in the Maldron Hotel on Sunday night where a packed house enjoyed a light buffet supper and dancing to the wonderful Midnight Sun.

DEEDS (Dementia Engaged and Empowered Derry and Strabane) began as DEED in 2014. Staff in OLT had noticed that some of their older residents participating in their Health for Life programme were beginning to present with early-stage dementia. They also noted there were very few services for people living with dementia in the community and their carers/family.

This in turn led to the first Memory Group in OLT being established and a successful funding application to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation saw DEED offering training and education out into the community as well as continuing their Memory Group. At this point – over 5,000 people were trained!

Interest grew from other community centres who wanted to offer a dementia service in their area and when JRF funding ended there was a successful application to the National Lottery Community Fund.

IN PICTURES: Dementia-friendly Spring Dance marks DEEDS 10th Birthday

This led to a unique partnership across the city and district, namely with Shantallow Community Centre, Hillcrest Trust, Caw Nelson Drive Action Group with Strabane District Caring Services and Learmount Community Group Ltd in Park serving the rural community.

Since 2018 DEEDS has been offering a wide range of programmes for people living with dementia and their families (carers) living in the Derry/Strabane District Council area.

The aim of the project is to keep people living with dementia well for longer in the community. The partnership has gone from strength-to-strength and the project offers volunteer opportunities as well. Indeed, Support Workers Wendy McLaughlin and Kathleen McNaught agree that they could not do their job without the wonderful support from their volunteers.

DEEDS continued a service even during the Covid pandemic and won a ‘Dementia Hero Award for Innovation’ from the Alzheimer’s Society for their programming online, Doorstep Melodies as well as new creative elements such as Carers Connect which taught family to do activities at home.

Now in their second phase, DEEDS continues to lead the way with new elements to their project such as offering new immersive training allowing people to walk in the shoes of someone with dementia as well as a Pre-Diagnosis Programme for those on the waiting list which is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland.

‘We feel that the project has grown very organicaly over the last ten years and we are responding to the needs that we see as we develop service,’ said OLT Programme Manager Sabrina Lynch, talking after Sunday night’s successful event.

Also speaking at the birthday celebrations, Sinead Devine, DEEDS co-ordinator added: ‘We were delighted with the turnout tonight having so many celebrate with us on this special evening and we are excited to be continuing our service going forward.’

For further information on DEEDS please contact Sinead at 028 71 37 38 70.