mindSCAPE Launch

From Left: Tracey Copley Dementia Nurse, Poet Roger Drury, Viv Shorney Alzheimer’s Society, Councillor Allaway-Martin, Mark Harper MP, Derek Coates mindSCAPE tutor, Lena Maller Dementia Alliance and Hannah Elton-Wall mindSCAPE Project Co-ordinato


Friday May 23, 2014
We held the launch of our new mindSCAPE project at Bracelands in the Forest of Dean. Fascinating presentations in the morning from Dr Martin Ansell a consultant specialising in dementia and memory at 2gether NHS Foundation Trust who talked about the physical and emotional effect of dementia. We also had a superb presentation from Kevin Stannard, Deputy Surveyor of the Forestry Commission who discussed the emotional reaction to the landscape of the Forest of Dean. Other contribuotrs to an informative and enjoyable session were Viv Shorney from the Alzheimer’s Society and Lena Maller who introduced us to the work of the Dementia Alliance together with Andrew Morgan-Watts who is a Dementia Champion and is currently caring for his wife who is living with the condition.

The weather at Bracelands Adventure Centre was pretty inclement to say the least with torrential rain which forced us indoors and not out on our new forest site which we would have preferred. After lunch we were pleasantly surprised by the number of people who turned up to find out about the project and to offer their support.

Mark Harper MP attended and spent a while chatting to all the attendees and we also had a visit from Councillors Terry Glastonbury and Carole Allaway- Martin.
We were able to present the first two month’s programme of events which are being organised by our Project Co-ordinator Hannah Elton-Wall from Artspace Cinderford.