This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise money for a minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district. 

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

Please give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. Let’s not forget who needs our help this Christmas.

Today, we hear the story of Dementia Forward.

It was this realisation that prompted Jill Quinn to improve local dementia support in the Harrogate district.

Jill, who previously worked for two national dementia charities, said she “wasted many years in retail management” before realising that the voluntary sector was where she belonged.

Dementia Forward was born in 2012 after Jill and other founding members left their previous healthcare jobs on a Friday and launched the charity the following Monday morning.

The team places need at the centre of the charity – something that can’t be done 200 miles away. She added:

Dementia Forward began with just seven members of staff. The team was donated second-hand laptops and worked from a small office in Ripon.

Kathy Patton, one of the founding members, added:

George Armitage House – the flagship hub in Burton Leonard – was donated to Dementia Forward by a lady who had previously lived there. After her husband died, she wanted the money from his estate to go to something meaningful – and so the team’s first hub was born.

Things were looking bright for Dementia Forward and the team was right – there was a huge need for local dementia support. Within just 18 months, the charity was commissioned to cover three areas of North Yorkshire. A decade later, Dementia Forward now covers the entire county.

The charity now employs more than 60 staff members, has 250 volunteers and helps 4,500 families.

Dementia Forward offers unrivalled support for those suffering with these life-changing diseases and their carers. It hosts weekly social events and groups for people to attend, as well as community groups and cafés.

The charity also has a young onset group – known as Time Out Together – which helps those who have developed symptoms of dementia under the age of 65.

People enjoy puzzles, board games and quizzes. They sing together, go on trips to the beach, walking excursions, art gallery visits and much more.

There is a certain sense of family that runs through Dementia Forward and it is clear the demand for its help and companionship is only growing.

It provides a lifeline for families and carers that are losing their loved one before their eyes.

However, the charity can only continue its amazing work with the help of charitable donations.

Kathy added:

Without Dementia Forward and its services, many people would have nowhere to turn.

Please give generously and support this vital local organisation. Nobody deserves what these families are facing – especially at Christmas.

Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward, helping us hit our £30,000 target to buy the charity a new minibus and improving the lives of those living with dementia and the people around them.

Dementia Forward’s current bus is old and urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going.

Without it, many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help and support they need.