Planting Memories

“Planting Memories ” campaign 2012

Well, what can i say !!! Care Homes Uk have just published this on their site showing everybody up and down the UK what can be achieved and how we can, together, make a huge difference to those with Dementia and also those who are touched by this awful disease. What a year this has BEEN!!!! And its still only JULY!!!!! Thank you so much Care Homes Uk and a big thank you to the Warberries Nursing Home, not forgetting the up and coming Widdecombe Care Home, Wellswood, Torquay, which will soon be hopefully the 2nd Planting Memories Garden within Torbay, of course not forgetting my great friend Lyn Richard`s who has done all the publicity work on this.
If anybody would like more information about this please conatct Norrms on or the Planting Memories page on Facebook.
best wishes, Norrms and family xxxxxxxxx
Planting Memories Campaign

MY FRIENDS, I HAVE THE UPMOST HONOUR IN ANNOUNCING THE WARBERRIES NURSING HOME, TORQUAY AS THE FIRST EVER UK “PLANTING MEMORIES PROJECT!!! I HAVE JUST HAD A WONDERFUL MEETING WITH PEOPLE AS PASSIONATE AS MYSELF IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE. AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE PICS, THE SETTING IS BEAUTIFUL, THE HOUSE IS INCREDIBLE!! AND THIS IS SO EXCITING I CAN HARDLY SPEAK !! (UNUSUAL FOR ME I KNOW !!LOL) PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE PICS, EARLY DAYS YET I KNOW BUT JUST YOU WAIT AND SEE. MY VISION IS TO HAVE ONE LIKE THIS IN EVERY UK TOWN, WATCH THIS SPACE !!!! PLEASE BELIEVE ME MY FRIENDS WHEN I SAY “DREAMS REALLY CAN COME TRUE ” XXXXXXXXXXX

PLANTING MEMORIES is a campaign reaching out to all those interested in gardening to help raise public awareness of dementia and generate funds for charities involved with finding a cure and developing new treatments.

The idea for Planting Memories was seeded by Norman McNamara (aka Norrms) who was diagnosed with early onset dementia four years ago aged 50. Since then Norrms has been campaigning long and hard to improve things for all those who have been touched by this devastating disease.

Norrms describes here how everyone interested in gardening can get involved in the Planting Memories campaign:

“Anyone interested in gardening can ‘plant memories’ in aid of international Dementia Awareness Day 2012 (aka D.A.D) on Saturday September 15th. All you have to do is grow some garden plants of any kind over the summer and then sell them to your friends or local community on or before DAD. The profit you make can be donated online via http://www.justgiving.com/DementiaAwarenessDay2012

It doesn’t matter if you take on the challenge as an individual, or club together with some friends or neighbours. You can sell your produce direct from your front door or take it to a fête or car boot sale. Plants are very easy to grow, you can start from seed or cheat by buying ready propagated seedlings from your local garden centre. Enjoy nurturing and watching them mature, and then pot them up ready to sell as established plants during the summer or on D.A.D day! Ideas for growing plant varieties can be found on my Planting Memories Facebook page .

But there is more to this campaign than fundraising. I would like you all to try and involve (where possible) someone who has a diagnosis of dementia in the choice of plants and the growing process.”

Norrms hopes that care homes, day centres and hospitals will also get involved in the Planting Memories campaign.

Longer term, Norrms would also like to pioneer for a Dementia Memory Garden to be established in every town. This will be part sensory garden planted with flowers and herbs and part allotment for growing fruit and vegetables. The garden will be easily accessible for people with dementia and their friends (including carers and family) to go and help out or just enjoy. During the summer friends of the Memory Garden will organise competitions and fun for all the community to take part in. The produce grown can be sold and all funds will go straight to the DAD charity of the year. Dementia Memory Gardens in Britain and the world will grow into a wonderful living legacy to all those who have created and enjoyed these flourishing pieces of land.

In 2012 the Planting Memories campaign will be supporting The Lewy Body Society. Lewy Body disease is the second most frequent cause of neurodegenerative dementia.*

*Statement by the Lewy Body Society –

We aim to support and inform carers, sufferers and the general public about this tragic disease. DLB is often misdiagnosed as other forms of dementia, which can lead to the condition of sufferers worsening.

Virtually unknown but not uncommon, Lewy Body disease is the second most frequent cause of neurodegenerative dementia. Accurate diagnosis is essential for successful treatment. The purpose of The Lewy Body Society is to raise awareness of this terrible disease amongst the public and the medical profession.

For more information about Lewy Body disease please visit http://lewybody.org/

For further information about the Planting Memories campaign on behalf of Dementia Awareness Day please contact Lyn Richards or on

You can read more about Norman McNamara’s story by clicking here

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Norrms is sitting next to the Prime Minister in the far right of the picture)

Release date: 27 April 2012

This is the link to our new page “Planting Memories” its been designed by my great friend Lyn Richards so people who want to join in with this years Dementia awareness day campaign Theme “Planting memories” can do, and raise much needed fun…ds for the lewy Body`s Society. Please visit us, “LIKE US” and tell us how you will help to “PLANT A MEMORY” for this years DAD day, love, Norrms and family xxxxxxxx