A thought-provoking pop-up exhibition about dementia in Hampshire is coming to Andover Town Centre on 4th February.
‘Dementia Friendly Hampshire: The Story So Far’ features works from Hampshire artists and writers, as well as people with dementia and their carers, from across the County. Officially opening on Wednesday 4th February, the exhibition will tell the story of how Hampshire is working to becoming a dementia friendly community, as well as offering information on the condition and the local support available.
Located at 91 Andover High Street, the pop-up exhibition runs from Wednesday 4th February to Wednesday 11th February. It will include specially commissioned sculptures and paintings from talented local artists, all exploring the theme of dementia. The event is free to attend and visitors to the town centre are invited to see the exhibition at any time between 10am and 4pm.
Anyone attending will also be able to participate in the exhibition by hanging a special tag on a tree to demonstrate support for people with dementia in Hampshire. The team behind the exhibition are hoping to fill the tree’s branches with tags by the time the pop-up exhibition finishes.
Debra Ramchurn, Chief Executive of Andover Mind, the organisers of the exhibition commented: “We are very proud of what the Dementia Friendly Hampshire campaign has achieved to date, including eight Dementia Friendly High Streets and over 300 businesses in the county signed up to the Hampshire Dementia Action Alliance (HDAA).”
“We wanted to do something to celebrate those milestones as well as continue to raise awareness of dementia in Hampshire. Both locally and nationally, dementia cases are set to rise, so it’s important that we show how it is possible for people with the condition to live well with the support and understanding of the local community.”
She continued: “The exhibition will showcase the work done locally to create dementia friendly communities as well as some moving poems, stories and artwork from local people. We’d really like to encourage people to come out and see us, everyone is welcome. It’s a great opportunity to find out more in a friendly environment and see the work of some talented local artists.”
Dementia Friendly Hampshire is an initiative launched by Andover Mind, one of the County’s leading mental health and well-being charities, Hampshire County Council and the five NHS clinical commissioning groups. Thanks to the initiative, Hampshire is proudly at the forefront of best practice when it comes to creating inclusive environments for people with dementia.
This means that there are dementia friendly high streets, shops, transport providers, leisure facilities, charities, support groups and organisations county-wide that have pledged to help those with the condition to live well and live independently. This is important because official figures state that, by 2030, the number of people living with dementia in Hampshire is predicted to rise by 70 per cent.
Dementia Champion and Community and Leisure Portfolio Holder for Test Valley Borough Council, Councillor Tony Ward, said: “We are delighted to host Dementia Friendly Hampshire: The Story So Far in Andover. We are committed to ensuring that the services and facilities we provide in our town centres enable people living with the condition to carry on with everyday activities as much as possible.”
“The work on display at the exhibition will undoubtedly spark an interest with the public as well as our many retailers who pride themselves on customer service and want to learn more about ways they can support the whole community. With Romsey already an established dementia friendly town, we look forward to seeing the same for Andover.”
To see the exhibition simply visit the pop-up shop at 91 High Street, Andover, between 4th and 11th February.
For more information on the Dementia Friendly Hampshire campaign or signing up to the HDAA visit www.hants.gov.uk/dementiafriendly.
