Press Release
£6,000 raised to support people living with dementia in Kent
Earlier in November businesses, supporters, members of the community and friends came together for Galadance 2023, the event conceived by Jacqui Offen, to raise funds for charities supporting people with dementia.
Jacqui met Susanna Howard, founder of the arts and literature charity Living Words, in the care home where Jacqui’s father was resident and decided to support the charity through her Galadance events.
Susanna and Living Words have developed a pioneering communicative technique, underpinned by the Listen Out Loud methodology, to help carers and families positively impact lives and relationships by enabling more people to feel heard, valued, and understood. Jacqui witnessed the smiles and interaction this brought to those living with dementia first-hand, not least for her own father.
The Galadance series of events were originally conceived by Jacqui Offen as a way to raise funds and make a difference. These events have raised over £30,000 in total, including £12,000 at this year’s glittering event.
Half of those funds, £6,000 in total, have been donated to Living Words. It will make a huge difference to the small, community charity and will support the sharing of the charity’s proven Listen Out Loud communication model with more people, in particular through further developing online courses for carers, relatives and friends, as well as the Listen Out Loud app.
Speaking after the event, Jacqui Offen said: “We’re delighted to have raised such a significant amount of money to support Living Words with their vital work. Having witnessed the impact that their work has had with my own father, I am thrilled that these funds will help them to spread the word more widely and reach more people.”
Susanna Howard, founder of Living Words, also said “We are so grateful to Jacqui and all those who were so generous at the event for their donations. I was pleased to meet so many supporters at the event and explain just what a difference these funds will make for a small charity like us and the people we work with.”
“I am sharing the Listen Out Loud practice with my colleagues… This is changing things. Living Words needs to be in every unit, in every care home.” – Karen, carer and project member in pilot action-learning course
Feedback from our March 2023 course: “It makes me closer to residents and I can really feel their feelings in their dementia stage.” What surprised you the most about the action learning sessions? “The connection between me and residents.” ; “The techniques used can really help someone engage who might struggle otherwise.”
