The 4RDA Blog
February 2026 - February May Be The Shortest Month Of The Year But It Has Been A Busy One!
2/3/2026
• I attended a meeting of the Dementia Support South Devon forum for the first time (02/02/25) and gave an update on the work of 4RDA and Dementia Friendly Parishes around the Yealm.• I met with Councillor Margaret Grafton (Ermington Parish Council) to conduct a village signage audit (09/02/26) and subsequently compiled a report with recommendations on how to make the signage dementia friendly. Cllr Grafton will discuss the report with her fellow councillors at their March parish council meeting.
• I met with Councillor Crystal Cao (Ivybridge Town Council) to share the newly printed dementia friendly introduction letters and discuss an initial plan of approaching the businesses in the town (09/02/26). This so far resulted in Cllr Cao and I visiting the first group of businesses (16/02/26) to make them aware of the work being done to make Ivybridge a dementia friendly community, leaving them the introductory letter with a plan to revisit again shortly to gauge their interest and offer support to become dementia friendly. We will do this a number of times until we have visited all of the businesses and will then meet to plan next steps.
• I attended the South Hams District Alliance meeting (11/02/26) and gave an update about the work of both 4RDA and Dementia Friendly Parishes around the Yealm.
• I met with Suzi Garrod (Chief Executive and Dementia and Palliative Care Lead, Tumbly Hill Wellbeing Hub in Kingsbridge) again to discuss a provisional plan re: support that 4RDA could give with their forthcoming carer’s support group and other planned dementia services (16/02/26).
• The 4RDA “working to become dementia friendly” window stickers I previously began working on designing have now been printed. So, these are now ready to be offered to organisations and businesses when they start to take tangible actions towards becoming dementia friendly. The certificates are also in the process of being printed.
• I wrote a mini dementia friendly guide for estate agents wishing to become dementia friendly. Also, the guide I wrote for GP practices has been edited and will be going to print shortly.
A few other things in the pipeline are:
• I am booked to attend Modbury Parish Council’s Community Engagement Committee meeting (10/03/26) to discuss ways of starting to work on making Modbury more dementia friendly.
• I have been invited to give a talk about the work of 4RDA and Dementia Friendly Parishes Around the Yealm at a social evening for staff and drivers of the Ivybridge and District Community Transport Association (Ring and Ride). This will be taking place on (18/03/26).
• I will be attending the next Erme & Yealm Caring Alliance meeting (18/03/26) and will give an update on the work of 4RDA and Dementia Friendly Parishes Around the Yealm.
• I will continue to work on drafting an information pack for the care sector.
January 2026 - Meetings, Strategies, Publications and Support
30/1/2026
• I met with Liz Hitchins (4RDA Chair) and Steven Parker Davidson (4RDA Treasurer) to discuss potential support that could be offered to Tumbly Hill Wellbeing Hub in Kingsbridge (09/01/26).• The final edit of the dementia friendly guide I wrote for retailers was completed and copies have now been printed. (See the Useful Documents section in the Support Organisations webpage for a PDF copy). The dementia friendly guide I have written for GP practices is currently in the editing process before it goes to print.
• I have continued work on drafting an information pack for the care sector.
• I was booked to attend Modbury Parish Council’s Community Engagement Committee meeting (13/01/26) to discuss ways of starting to work on making Modbury more dementia friendly but the meeting was cancelled due to illness and I was unable to attend the rescheduled meeting held a few days later. I am booked to attend the next meeting (10/03/26).
• I gave a presentation on supporting people living with dementia at the University of Plymouth's - Dementia Voices - Raising Awareness Of Dementia event (22/01/26) in the Foulston Room, the Box Plymouth. These ongoing events are design to raise awareness of dementia in our communities.
• I attended the South Hams Dementia Forum meeting (28/01/26) and discussed action plans for town and parish councils and potential different ways of running the forum with the rest of the group.
• Liz, Steven and I met with Suzi Garrod (Chief Executive and Dementia and Palliative Care Lead, Tumbly Hill Wellbeing Hub in Kingsbridge) to agree support that 4RDA could give with their emerging dementia services (28/01/26) and I drafted risk assessments for the forthcoming memory café and carer’s support groups that will be running there soon.
• I started work on drafting a 4RDA “working to become dementia friendly” window sticker and certificate design that can be offered to organisations and businesses that take tangible actions towards becoming dementia friendly.
A few other things in the pipeline are:
• I have arranged with Ermington Parish Council to support with conducting a village signage audit (09/02/26) and will also discuss holding a community dementia awareness session there soon.
• I have got back in touch with Ivybridge Town Council re: a dementia friendly introduction letter that they drafted (which 4RDA edited and have now had printed). The plan is for them to deliver the letter to businesses in the town and for this to then be followed up by myself and their dementia friendly lead councillor with a visit to the businesses to offer support and the retailer’s guide, to encourage them to work towards becoming dementia friendly. I am currently waiting to hear back re: arranging to meet to discuss and make arrangements for this.
• I will be attending a meeting of the Dementia Support South Devon forum for the first time (02/02/25) and will give an update on the work of 4RDA and Dementia Friendly Parishes around the Yealm.
• I will be attending the next South Hams District Alliance meeting (11/02/26) and will give an update about the work of both 4RDA and Dementia Friendly Parishes around the Yealm.
December - Has Been A Little Quieter As Christmas Approaches
22/12/2025
In contrast to November, December has been a little quieter as everyone has headed towards the Christmas and New Year break.• Following the dementia awareness session that I delivered to the South Dartmoor Community Energy (SDCE) team in South Brent (26/11/25), I met with Nicky Puttick (Project Manager) to discuss ways that SDCE could become a dementia friendly organisation (08/12/25). Nicky will be discussing my suggestions with their board.
• I attended the Erme and Yealm Caring Alliance meeting in Ivybridge (10/12/25) and gave an update on the work of both 4RDA and Dementia Friendly Parishes Around the Yealm.
• I attended the quarterly 4RDA meeting (15/12/25) to give an update as above.
• I met with Suzi Garrod (Chief Executive and Dementia and Palliative Care Lead, Tumbly Hill Wellbeing Hub in Kingsbridge) to discuss support that 4RDA could give with their emerging dementia services (15/12/25).
• The dementia friendly guide I wrote for retailers is currently having a final edit before going for printing in the new year. Also, the dementia friendly guide I had prepared for GP practices is currently being edited and should be available by mid-January 2026.
• I have now started drafting an information pack for the care sector.
A few other things in the pipeline, heading into 2026 are:
• I am booked to attend Modbury Parish Council’s Community Engagement Committee meeting (13/01/26) to discuss ways of starting to work on making Modbury more dementia friendly.
• I will be getting back in touch in the new year with Ermington Parish Council to start planning dementia friendly work there.
• I will be catching up with Ivybridge Town Council in the new year working with them under the Dementia Friendly Ivybridge initiative, to arrange visiting businesses in the town and encouraging them to work towards becoming dementia friendly.