As well as being featured in the Observer this month Dementia Adventure is also in the current issue of the Journal of Dementia care.  We are also highlighted on page 3 and featured on page 14 of the current issue of Caring Times.  We are very pleased that awareness and recognition of our work is growing.  As a small social enterprise it is always a challenge for us to reach people with news of our work.  Subscribers to our website are key supporters of our work who often share our news both in the virtual and real worlds.  If you have told someone about our work recently - thank you.  Maybe you know a publication our work could be featured in?

In addition to sharing our work through printed and online media Dementia Adventure has plans for a variety of events where you can come and meet us.  These are taking place across Essex, as well as in locations across England and internationally.  For example, we were very pleased to be part of the facilitation team at the Everyone Matters event in Westminster with Frameworks4Change last week.  We will also be attending or presenting at a number of events over the coming months, here are a few:

• Supporting the launch of young onset dementia group with the Alzheimer’s Society in Harlow on Jan 31st
• Being part of the Bupa Essex Dementia Conference on Feb 8th
• Meeting people living with dementia at a support group in Ramsgate on Feb 14th
• Sharing our work at a providers event in March in Thurrock
• We will be sharing our work at a social enterprise event in Glasgow on March 27th
• We will be at events in Derbyshire in April and Oxfordshire in May
• And I will be presenting at the Risky Business conference in Sydney in June.

If you live in or near one of these locations and would like to know more about the event then do get in touch.  With your help we are spreading the word about Dementia Adventure.  Watch out for more news about Dementia Adventure events soon.

Thank your for your support

Neil Mapes

Director

Dementia Adventure

We are very pleased to share with you news that Dementia Adventure is featured in The Observer today (page 11) in a piece on Britain’s new radicals.

Applications to be in the first annual list of Britain’s new radicals is still open.  Do you know someone who should apply?  Do you have a fresh idea that can make a real difference to society?  More information here:http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2012/jan/08/final-chance-britains-new-radicals?INTCMP=SRCH

Thanks so much for your support and for sharing

Neil

Please feel free to tell all your friends and family that they can become our supporters too. Any contribution would be welcome. This fundraising effort is just to raise the money to cover expenses for participants travelling from all over the UK to a central location.

It is easy to vote – you do have to register and give them a password, but it doesn’t result in a barrage of spam. Click here to vote.

In September 2011 Dementia Adventure provided a sailing adventure in Cornwall and our photo of Alan on this sailing adventure has won the competition with 25% of the public vote (631 votes).  This has given us a great boost.  We have held our vision for Dementia Adventure for some time now.  The sailing adventure and this award are evidence that our vision has enormous support and that this vision is beginning to materialise.  Alan, his wife, son and daughter were all at the award ceremony and Alan proudly collected the winning envelope from the managing director of Triodos bank UK.  John and Annie who were also on the sailing adventure were also able to join us all the way from Gloucestershire for the celebrations in London last night.

As a result of winning this award we receive £1000, membership of Social Enterprise UK and free advertising space next year.  More importantly, we have learnt that we have a strong community of people supporting us both in the online and offline worlds.  Thank you to everyone who voted and for sharing and promoting the link during the voting phase.

Here is Lucy Harding’s photo of Alan that won the public vote in Social Vision 2011.