25 Mar Celebrated Author Boosts Awareness of Dementia to Schoolchildren at Quilters Billericay
As part of the Essex Year of Reading campaign, Quilters Junior School in Billericay hosted author, Wendy Mitchell, who inspired pupils and taught them more about their dementia-friendly ethos.
Acclaimed author Wendy Mitchell visited pupils at Quilters Junior School in Billericay to boost awareness of dementia and inspire pupils to read and write.
Funded by Essex County Council (ECC), the visit tookplace on Wednesday 22 March from 11am to 3pm and was organised by the school and the Billericay Dementia Friendly Community as part of the Essex Year of Reading, a campaign set up to boost pupils’ reading levels.
Wendy Mitchell, author of ‘Somebody I Used to Know’ and ‘What I Wish People Knew About Dementia’, has early on-set dementia. At Quilters Junior School, Wendy met and talked with pupils, giving them an insight into how, with compassion, understanding and support, people living with dementia can successfully continue their everyday lives.
Championing the visit, Councillor Tony Ball, ECC’s Cabinet Member for Education Excellence, Lifelong Learning and Employability, said: “The Essex Year of Reading is a wonderful campaign that has truly helped children see the value and excitement of reading. An event like this showcases how vital reading is. It unlocks doors, widens our views, and helps us have compassion for people going through different experiences.”
Wendy has made it her mission to raise awareness about dementia, as she explains: “I was diagnosed with Young Onset Dementia at the age of 58 years young. Post diagnosis, I was so shocked by the lack of awareness, both in the community and the clinical world, that I now spend all my time travelling around the country raising awareness and encouraging others to speak out in order to reduce the stigma associated with dementia. I am delighted to meet the children and staff at Quilters.”
She continues: “I am now proud to be the author of not one but two Sunday Times best sellers and have been awarded two Honorary Doctorates. Who would have thought that possible 8 years ago when I was diagnosed?”
Pupils at Quilters School have all become Dementia Friends, an Alzheimer’s Society initiative, and the children are involved in a range of activities that promote cross-generational friendships. All the children have older pen pals with whom they correspond regularly, and both young and old find great pleasure in writing their letters and cards as well as reading and re-reading the replies. To celebrate the author’s visit, the children’s pen pals, as well as residents from the nearby Abbeyfield Care Home, were invited to Quilters Junior School for a special afternoon tea.
Michael Wade, Headteacher of Quilters Junior School, was delighted to welcome Wendy to his school. He said: “It’s so important to show children the heights they can reach with reading. Skills like reading and writing open up so many educational opportunities and we’re excited to host this exciting event with Wendy Mitchell, to promote a good cause as well as show children how reading can be fun.”
Quilters Infants children also visit and join in with the Billericay Memory Café and older children make regular visits to local care homes. The Quilters Federation of Schools has recently been awarded an Essex Healthy Schools Best Practice Award for Personal, Social, Health Education (PSHE). The Federation has also been recognised as a Dementia Friendly School, sponsored by Hallmark Care Homes, when it was noted that the school is leading the way in creating a dementia-friendly generation.
The Quilters Federation of Schools, in partnership with the Billericay Dementia Friendly Community, has set up the author event, with funding provided by Essex County Council (ECC). The event is also part of the Adult Social Care service’s promotion of intergenerational activity happening across Essex.
Find out more about the events, activities and competitions available through the Essex Year of Reading by downloading the free app from Google Play or the App Store. Find out more about the campaign by visiting https://www.essex.gov.uk/news/essex-year-of-reading.
