Green Links

Green Links is a constituted community group supporting people living with Dementia, including those experiencing memory loss and with Young Onset Dementia, and their carers. Our group made up of people living with dementia, carers and other representatives from local organisations who support people living with dementia. Having this lived experience ensures a great level of understanding, empathy and knowledge of what people living with dementia CAN achieve, rather than what they cannot and we encourage individuals to recognise the meaningful role that they have in the local community.

Within the next 30 years the number of people estimated to suffer from dementia in England is set to double (Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia), with research produced by the Alzheimer’s Society stating that more than a third (39%) of people with dementia expressed feelings of loneliness. Natural England reported that the health of people with dementia who spent 10 – 15 minutes of activity a day outside improved significantly; reducing stress levels and increasing people’s self-esteem, through our range of practical outdoor activities our group aims to achieve the same.

In a response to these growing issues, the Green Links would use the funding to provide a series of meaningful outdoor or environmental activity, for our beneficiaries in Hartlepool (those with dementia and Young Onset Dementia), in a friendly setting where befriending, and confidence building and teamwork is encouraged. Beneficiaries work together to achieve things from walking / sporting challenges to completion of horticultural or conservational tasks.