Member showcase: The Thursday Group, Huddersfield

Our Young Onset dementia group has 16 members and is supported by a partnership between Kirklees Dementia Hub and Hoot Creative Arts. Both charities have the pleasure of co-facilitating ‘The Thursday Group’ – an apt name chosen by the group as we meet in-person every Thursday at Fresh Futures, Brian Jackson House in the centre of Huddersfield from 1-3pm.

Peer support plays a large part in what we do and because the group has been running for eight years, there are some strong friendships between both members and volunteers. New members are welcomed into the warm and energetic environment and quickly feel part of the group. Fun is high on our agenda, and we love to joke and play games.

A popular game is ‘What’s in the box?’ where volunteers and members bring interesting things to hide in a box and we all guess the contents. We all love the surprise and quirky items people share!

We enjoy learning new skills and getting creative with activities provided by Hoot Creative Arts. Printing, clay and painting have all featured this year and we find joy in having a go without any worry about our skill level.

The power of music can be felt through our sessions – we have explored instruments, experienced a sound bath and even written our own sea shanties and Yorkshire themed song. And the group stay flexible and support our motor skills with monthly chair yoga provided by the excellent Umbrella Yoga. We especially enjoy relaxing with the twinkly chimes at the end.

We promote and support our independence and enjoy trips out together. This year have been exploring Yorkshire by rail via an excellent service provided by TrainEd. We’ve been to Sheffield and Barnsley to share the culture on offer in their museums and galleries. The impact on our wellbeing is clear to see through our smiles and relationships within the group.

The group like stay active and to get involved in the local community. This year we have welcomed the Police Cadets, student nurses delivering health checks, a singing group and are looking forward to welcoming a mobile police museum.

Real life and the difficult experiences we are carrying still exist, but The Thursday Group is a unique place where we come together to live well with dementia – whatever that means to the individual. For some of us, it is the one place we feel we can be ourselves in a social setting and that makes it a very special place.

It is made even more special by our five volunteers who bring such warmth and experience to the group – they are a very big key ingredient. Their dedication to the practical elements of facilitating a group, alongside their energy and commitment to creating a supportive environment, truly makes the group. We are so grateful to all of them!

Another key ingredient to the success of The Thursday Group is the open spirit of our members. The combination of our experiences means there is no other group like it, and it continues to evolve with our membership. The deep understanding, vulnerabilities and desire to continue to live well with young onset dementia allow for a supportive environment that breaks down barriers, even if just for two hours a week. There is always something to smile about at The Thursday Group.

If you live in Huddersfield, are under 65 and are living with dementia, we would like to invite you to join us. Please contact Tina, the group facilitator on 07387 019182 or email at tina.baguley@commlinks.co.uk