Dementia-friendly arts programme to expand further in Breckland after £20K funding bid is approved
Breckland Council. Picture: Ian Burt - Credit: IAN BURT
A programme of creative activities designed to give older people and those with dementia opportunities to get active and socialise is set to expand again after receiving grant funding from a district council.
The Our Day Out programme, run by Creative Arts East, had a £20,000 funding bid approved by Breckland Council's cabinet this week.
With the extra funding the East Anglian charity hopes to expand the scheme into a new location in the district, likely to be Thetford.
Our Day Out is an inclusive dementia-friendly programme which engages people through a range of music and dance activities and experiences.
The fortnightly sessions are two to three hours long and have included activities such as digital music making, African drumming and choral work as well as classic and contemporary dance.
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The scheme is open to everyone and has proved popular with people living with early stage dementia and their carers.
Created by Breckland Council, the programme was initially offered in Watton, Attleborough and Dereham during 2015 and 2016 as part of a pilot with Creative Arts East.
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Over the summer, the programme received just over £230,000 from Spirit of 2012, an independent trust established with Big Lottery funding – this will enable its continuation until the middle of 2019, as well as expansion to sites in the North Norfolk area.
Breckland Council leader William Nunn said: 'Our Day Out has already made a big difference to participants' quality of life, and I am delighted that we are able to support its expansion further.'
What do you think of the Our Day Out programme? Email bethany.whymark@archant.co.uk
