Awareness Training Inspires Fundraising

A student who attended a Dementia Awareness Workshop as part of his placement with Osborne has been inspired to raise money for the charity Age UK.

Ashley Taylor-Sturdy, currently on a one-year placement with Osborne Communities as part of a pilot work-based learning programme, decided to organise a bake sale to raise funds after attending the session delivered in response to customer feedback.

Following a visit from a tenant inspectors group, it was recognised that the team often call and visit residents with Dementia and memory loss. As a result, Osborne teamed up with community partner Age UK to deliver dementia awareness training for its staff.

Melanie Clarke, Community Support Manager for the charity, gave an interactive and very useful session on the different types of dementia, common misconceptions and tips for communicating with people who are suffering from the disease.

After the workshop Ashley said: “It was sad to hear about some of the experiences people with dementia face but I am glad I have learnt some good tips about communication and being patient.
“We learnt that whilst they may not remember what we said or did, people will remember how it made them feel and this is really important to think about.”

But Ashley, who has been utilising his creative skills to assist Osborne Community Investment Manager Hannah Bailey, also decided on a proactive approach to show his support, organising the Easter themed sale and ‘bake off’ competition amongst colleagues and partners from Sunrealm, raising £56.

After handing the cheque over to Age UK, the charity presented him with a certificate of thanks to add to his portfolio.

Osborne Communities, Head of Engagement, Jo Fletcher said: “Ashley has been a great asset to Osborne throughout his work-based programme and his determination to support Age UK following the workshop he attended, is a great credit to him.
“Our customers are at the heart of everything we do and it is vital that we continually assess how we can improve our services to meet their needs.  We will continue to work with our community partners to ensure we keep learning how to deliver the best service which meets the needs of all of our customers. The Age UK Dementia training workshop allowed us to take this learning and share with our colleagues to improve what we do.”