Midcheshire Independent Issue 174
JANUARY 2025 8 Feel the benefit of solar power, save money on your energy bills, and help tackle climate change. Scan to see if you qualify for free or discounted home upgrades. Or call Your Home Better on 0161 883 7979 A WILMSLOW youth charity has been awarded £5,000 from the town council to support its ‘wider family’ programme. The project, delivered by the Wilmslow Youth group, supports par- ents and provides help for children who are about to start secondary school. The charity, based in Wilmslow United Reformed Church, offers its services to all young people and their families in the town and surround- ing areas. It looks create spaces where young people can build friendships with each other and get to know trusted adults who can support them whenever needs arise. The charity also provides free-to-ac- cess, early intervention, professional mental health services for young peo- ple aged 11-18 and their parents. More than a 100 young people go through its doors every week. Wilmslow town council’s grant will help to fund its ‘wider family’ programme, which has two pri- mary elements. It offers counselling for parents, carers and grandparents and delivers mental health early intervention for year 6 students, supporting children with emerging mental health issues. That work includes small group ses- sions in schools for children experienc- ing high levels of anxiety, whole class sessions and support during the first half-term at secondary school for any children who accessed support while in primary school. DEMENTIA patients at Congleton War Memorial hospital are experiencing new- found comfort and joy thanks to local volun- teer Jane Arzoni. Jane, a mum of two from North Rode, began volunteering at her local hospital after moving back to the UK in Jan- uary 2024. Following a decade in the USA, she returned with a deep appreciation for the NHS and a strong desire to give back. After dementia train- ing with East Cheshire NHS Trust’s Admiral Nurse, Laura Birch, Jane was introduced to the benefits of music and hand massage for demen- tia patients, sparking an idea to combine music, aromatherapy, and hand massage therapies. Supplied with a 1950s playlist, a portable speaker, and hand lotion infused with relaxing essential oils, she offers soothing hand massages to dementia patients at the hospital’s Aston Unit. She said: “Having experienced the health- care system in the USA and how expensive it is, I realised how much the NHS is taken for granted. This motivated me to give back to the NHS in some way and when we moved back to England, I applied to be a volunteer. “I chose Congleton because it’s slightly closer to my home and when I discovered more about Aston Unit, I was very pleased, as I had hoped to work with older patients. “I think older people can sometimes be forgot- ten and I hate to think of any elderly person feel- ing lonely or anxious, so from the outset my goal was to make a positive difference in at least one person’s day through my volunteering work. “During the training, Jane’s helping hands making a difference Caring: Jane with patient on Aston Unit, Winifred Bowler (Photo credit: East Cheshire NHS Trust) Cash boost for youth charity Presentation: WilmslowYouth receive their grant from town mayor Tim Higgins (Photo credit: Wilmslow Town Council) Laura mentioned the benefits of music and hand massage for people dealing with dementia. This was the spark that gave me some ideas on how I could contribute to my volunteer role. “After doing further research, I set-out to combine three differ- ent types of therapy that studies have found can help people living with dementia – music, aromatherapy and hand massage. “Every patient is dif- ferent, with their own individual needs and I continue to learn as I spend more time on the unit, but usually there is a visible change in demeanour, which could be a warm smile, a nod of acknowledgment or a sigh of relief.”
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