HOLYWELL school pupils have shown their support towards creating a dementia friends community.

Before the coronavirus lockdown, Holywell Age and Dementia Community launched a project in the town, taking the topic of dementia into local schools to start the conversation, in a bid to create a dementia friendly environment.

Holywell Age and Dementia Friendly Community launched a project in the town, taking the topic of dementia into local schools to start the conversation, in a bid to create a dementia friendly environment.

The steering group delivered a project to Ysgol Treffynnon and Maes y Felin that brought the key messages of dementia into a performance for their parents/ guardians and peers

Jane Meakin from purple Platform that delivered the project on behalf of the Holywell Age and Dementia Steering group said: "As the facilitator of this project I feel extremely humble to see all the people we have worked with and more turn out to celebrate the great work of the schools towards making Holywell and district an age and dementia friendly community.

"It is lovely to see so many people committing to learning more ways to help those who have dementia to live well.

"I have had a passion that we cannot tackle dementia alone and as a arts and dementia practitioner notice that unfortunately many people are isolated in their own communities or even sometimes disregarded from society as they have been given a diagnosis of dementia."

Pupils from Maes Y Felin and Ysgol Trefynnon worked with the group to complete a programme, which included taking part in awareness sessions, and pupils also took part in a drama-based workshop where they gained further understanding of how to share the key messages they had learnt about dementia.

Jane added: "I was surprised how the children took to learning about a sometimes-scary topic and seeing the connections that have now been made.

"It was lovely to see age was no barrier and most certainly the diagnosis of dementia was not either.

"This project was about Holywell and District uniting against dementia by not bringing the community but educating the younger members of society in how they can be dementia friendly in their community."

Barry Harrison, Chair of Age and Dementia Friendly Holywell and District said: ''On behalf of the Age and Dementia Friendly Group (Holywell and District) I welcome the opportunity to thank the Heads and staff at Ysgol Trefynnon and Maes y Felin for allowing us to deliver dementia awareness sessions to pupils within the school environment.

"It is becoming increasingly apparent that the benefits in young people recognising, understanding and supporting those in society who have this condition will give us the opportunity to make us all a dementia friendly society.

"It is our fervent hope that the initiative of learning can be extended to all schools in our catchment area. Again – well done - pupils, staff and parents."