The 4RDA Blog
A Very Busy March - Parish Councils And Other Interested Parties
31/3/2025
Like February, March has continued to be busy!• Resulting from attending Shaugh Prior’s parish council meeting in early February, I wrote a piece for the March issue of the parish magazine about the work of 4RDA and Dementia Friendly Parishes Around the Yealm. I also visited a local resident earlier on this month to provide a variety of dementia support information following a dementia diagnosis in the family. The parish council were going to consider the offer of support to work towards becoming a dementia friendly parish council but due to a number of other ongoing pressing priorities, they have put the offer of support onto their April meeting agenda for discussion.
• Following on from attending Ugborough’s parish council meeting (12/02/25), they have said they are very keen to take action, they have designated a councillor to take the lead on this and the plan is that he will move things forward after attending the next South Hams Dementia Forum meeting in Mid-April.
• I attended Ivybridge Town Council’s annual meeting (17/03/25) with an information stand, a variety of dementia friendly literature and spoke to residents and councillors about the work of both 4RDA and Dementia Friendly Parishes Around the Yealm.
• After attending Ringmore’s parish council meeting (18/03/25), they have invited 4RDA to have an information stand at their summer fair in August and have requested information for their parish council website so their residents can be signposted for support.
• I attended Bickleigh Parish Council meeting (27/03/25) and shared the town and parish council information pack with the councillors. Following on from that, I have spoken to a local resident and provided a variety of dementia-related support information following a dementia diagnosis in the family. I will make contact with the parish council again after they have had time to consider the offer of support to work towards becoming dementia friendly.
• I attended Newton and Noss Parish council’s annual meeting (29/03/25) with an information stand and dementia friendly literature and spoke to residents and councillors present about 4RDA and Dementia Friendly Parishes Around the Yealm.
Other parish council meetings booked:
• I had planned to attend Kingston Parish Council meeting (20/03/25) but due to maintenance work being carried out on the meeting venue, I have been asked to attend at the June meeting instead.
• Ermington -I have been invited to be guest speaker at the annual parish council meeting (06/05/25).
• Harford-I am booked to attend their parish council meeting (07/05/25)
• Sparkwell-I am booked to attend their parish council meeting (13/05/25)
Additionally:
• I wrote a piece for the April edition of IMAG about the work of 4RDA and Dementia Friendly Parishes Around the Yealm. This local magazine is circulated to 8,700 people in Ivybridge and 12 surrounding communities, including Yealmpton, Ugborough, Ermington, Cornwood, South Brent, Sparkwell, Harford, Lee Mill, Bittaford, Moorhaven, Lutton and Wrangaton.
• I will be visiting Diptford (14/04/25) to carry out a dementia friendly building assessment on the village hall.
• There is a dementia wellbeing centre being set up in Kingsbridge and I have arranged with Suzi Garrod (CEO) to visit to offer support and advice around making the building dementia friendly (15/04/25).
• I have continued with researching community groups, businesses, schools, churches and other organisations to approach to offer support to become dementia friendly in the various parish areas.
• I will soon be making a start on creating working towards becoming dementia friendly information packs to share with various sectors e.g. Faith, retail, care, community groups, schools etc.
