Betty and David's story 

Betty and David are married and have been attending for the past two years. "I’ve been amazed at how lovely people are. David still has a very dry sense of humour and he’s not one to be shut in anywhere. MAG is perfect – I can stay with him. Just come along. There are so many things it offers. Find the niche that fits”.

Mark and Carol's story 

Mark cares for his mum Carol: “I met Jan at a Citizens Panel about social care in around 2022. Without MAG, it would be a very cold and lonely world. It makes a difference in so many ways. You can get knowledge, which is so important. This room is filled with hundreds of years of experience. Alone, you feel like you’re looking for one tree. Here, you find yourself surrounded by a forest of a thousand." 

The Founders Story – Jan Archbold

Jan is the powerhouse behind MAG. A retired Management Accountant, she wears various hats with the group: Founder, Treasurer, Trustee, Administrator, Chief Cook and Bottlewasher. This is Jan’s story:

 

“Over a decade ago, I volunteered on an elderly orthopaedic hospital ward and on the ward at Wakefield Hospice. In 2016 my husband was diagnosed with dementia. I continued volunteering as long as Liam, my husband, could be left alone. When it was no longer possible to leave Liam I volunteered with The Alzheimer’s Society because I could bring him with me. In 2016 I went to a Wakefield Memory Clinic meeting run by a brilliant guy called Matthew Burns. Memory Clinics are specialist clinics, available nationally within the NHS, for the diagnosis of any problems with memory/mental health (not solely dementia).

 

Matthew was an Admiral Nurse. Admiral Nurses are a free NHS service part funded for one year by Dementia UK for carers of people living with dementia and their families. They were running a pilot CST (Cognitive Stimulation Therapy) for people newly diagnosed with dementia and Positive Steps scheme for their carers. Matthew also set up an Early Onset Dementia Group which met at Socialicious café in Wakefield.

 

It was at this meeting that the carers decided to form a peer support group and the name ‘Memory Action Group’ was chosen. It isn’t backward-looking: it’s about making memories. There’s so much negativity – we wanted to create positivity.

 

Initially a group of carers started coming to mine with their loved ones for a cuppa. As my husband was Irish someone suggested having a session of Irish music which morphed into a ceilidh at Liam’s golf club. A ceilidh (pron. ‘kay-lee’) is a traditional Celtic music and dancing event originating in Ireland.

 

We got the room free, with friends playing, and we were shocked to raise over £1,000. We had no bank account, nothing! So we hastily set up a committee and opened a bank account. Pretty soon my home was too small to accommodate everyone who wanted to join us. Thankfully, at a monthly Memory Lunch (organised by Matthew) at West Wakefield Methodist Church, Thornes, I met the husband of the church minister and mentioned that we needed a venue in which to meet. A Memory Lunch is a group event where people with memory loss get together and have a meal.

 

The church let us rent a room with kitchen, disabled access and toilets and additional storage – perfect! Our first drop in was on 1 August 2019 and attendance grew quite quickly.

 

In June 2019, MAG became a member of Nova which is a Wakefield-based charity that supports other charities. It was brilliant to join, as Nova has been instrumental in helping MAG to grow and prosper. Through Nova we have received grants to help pay for rent and Rachel at Nova helped us with our application to become a registered charity, which we achieved on 31 May 2023.

 

Over the years (and through Covid), we have built up a reputation we are proud of. We’ve been helped both financially and otherwise by many individuals and organisations far too numerous to mention, for which we are extremely grateful. We have built up a great selection of games, activities, information and equipment thanks to donations and grants. Networking continues to be one of my key roles, recognising the importance of co-production.

 

There are no paid staff, we’re all volunteers, and all the money raised is used at the centre for people living with dementia. We’re a small local charity, not affiliated with any other charity. I get referrals from many organisations including the Alzheimer’s Society, Age UK, Admiral Nurses, GP Surgeries etc. We’re a good conduit for information and support. We want to prepare people without scaring them. And we laugh a lot!

 

MAG has given me a job after the death of my husband. Without MAG, I’d have felt a bit lost. I’m working harder now than ever – without getting paid – and I’ve met some incredible people. I just love it. It’s a big part of my life. A big positive for me is seeing friendships being made and them continuing outside MAG, that spirit of people supporting each other. It’s a real friendship network”.