Fran Arnold, Author at Darnall Well Being

Carers’ Support Groups

We offer two monthly carers’ support groups – one for all carers, and one specifically for carers of people living with Dementia.

If you’re an unpaid carer for someone, why not come along to our Carers’ Support Group? This monthly group is run in Darnall, in partnership with Sheffield Carers’ Centre. It’s an opportunity to meet other local carers, share stories and experiences, and find out about help and support available to you. You just need to contact us to book your place, so that we can manage numbers – then come along and join us!

people seated around a table in a meeting room, with some craft materials in front of them

I really did find the information, help, assistance, support and group lovely – I will be back.
WS, Dementia Carers’ Support Group attendee

Our Dementia Carers’ Support Group was visited in March 2024 by Dr Donal Farrell, a local GP, who shared this feedback from his experience there:

During the Dementia Carers’ Group, it was great to see familiar faces from the Making Memories Music Focus Group and with the theme being ‘Yorkshire’, I learned a lot, including about the local lingo. Opportunities for those with dementia and their carers to actively engage in discussions and tasks in a fun and friendly way was great to see. Drawing on the wisdom of the more experienced participants was a great way to get everyone involved.
Dr Farrell, GP

Chairobics (Women only)

This women only session is based around a chair and sitting down. It is gentle exercise to music. This session is an ideal starting point if you are just thinking about becoming active. It is also good for people with less mobility.

We hold women’s chairobics sessions in person in Darnall on Tuesdays and in Tinsley on Thursdays. See the flyer below for more details, and please contact us if you’d like to come along and join one of our friendly groups.

Women standing behind chairs, exercising their legs — Darnall Chairobics

Quotes from participants:

I like the exercises – it makes me happy and I feel better, because all the movement is good for me – hands, shoulders, feet. I have told my friend and she is now coming as well. I’m not trying too hard to lose weight but I feel healthier.

I like this group because it makes me feel better. I have ME. I have depression as well. Coming here the exercise makes me feel better. I get a lot of pains and the exercise helps. Also getting out of the house and meeting people. This is the only place I come out to.

Dementia Cafes

We’re very happy to offer two different Dementia Cafes for the community!

Our Making Memories Dementia memory cafe at St Mary’s Community Hub is a great opportunity to meet others every 2 weeks on Wednesday afternoons for a friendly chat, a cuppa and some fun activities, along with hearing from guest speakers.

We also run a monthly Happy Memories Dementia Cafe in Darnall on Mondays, with hot drinks, cakes and activities like we have in Handsworth, but which also offers language support for those who need it. Regular language support is available for Urdu and Somali speakers, but we can help with other languages, too.

people seated around tables at a dementia cafe event — Scenes from our Dementia cafes

people seated around tables at a dementia cafe — Scenes from our Dementia cafes

To help us to manage numbers at both cafes, we do ask that you register with us before coming along – email dwb.enquiries@darnallwellbeing.org.uk or phone: 0114 249 6315 or 07495 548929.

If you’re not sure what to expect from a Dementia Cafe, here’s a short clip of Making Memories attendees playing Beetle together:

And you can hear directly from some of our Dementia Cafe attendees here:

Listen to Bess and John’s experiences of coming to Making Memories

Hear more about our Dementia Cafe in Arabic

He was animated, engaged and recalling his own history and happy doing it…. The locality of the cafe to his community means he’s been able to rekindle acquaintances with people he knew from his earlier life.
HJ, son and carer of Making Memories Dementia Cafe attendee

We also run a separate Dementia group with a focus on music – JoJanGles. This friendly group meets every 2 weeks on Wednesday afternoons in Handsworth. This group was started thanks to research work we were involved in with the University of Sheffield. A video about their research, showing our group in action, can be seen below.

Please contact us if you would be interested in coming along to this group, which continues to meet every two weeks.

We also run two carers’ support groups at Darnall Primary Care Centre. For more details about these groups, please click here.

World Suicide Prevention Day

To mark World Suicide Prevention Day, we will be holding an awareness event in Darnall with Sheffield Mind. Please contact us to book. Jon and Penny will be leading this interactive session, and members of our team will be there to provide support and advice.

Holiday Activities & Food – Summer 2022

We are coordinating Healthy Activities & Food sessions once again in Darnall and Tinsley for children eligible for income-based free school meals, as one of Manor & Castle Development Trust’s partners. During summer 2022, we will be running free sport and creative activities, with food provided, at EIS, Darnall Library and Tinsley Allotment in partnership with: On The Move, Ignite imaginations, Darnall Library, Steamworks, and Tinsley Allotment. More details on the posters below:

Please get in touch with DWB or On The Move for more information and to book a place (for children 5-15 years old in full time education; children eligible for free school meals will be prioritised): Sofia Gkika (DWB) 07825288580, sofia@darnallwellbeing.org.uk or Lee Smith (On The Move) 07817699563, lee@onthemove.org.uk

Platinum Jubilee Celebrations – June 2022

A number of our groups have really enjoyed celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in Darnall and Handsworth this June!

There were 2 celebration events at our On The Plot sessions at the allotment, for people with Dementia and their carers. As well as creating royalty-themed art work, at the first session, they talked about what they could remember about the Coronation and about the Silver Jubilee. And at the second, participants shared what they had seen of the weekend’s Jubilee celebrations, whilst enjoying a strawberry cream tea.

people sitting together at a community allotment — On The Plot celebrations, including a short story written for the occasion by Mel.

woman holding radishes pulled out of the ground — On The Plot celebrations, including a short story written for the occasion by Mel.

Another allotment event, for the whole community, was held at Darnall Allotment Project on Friday 3rd June. Over several hours, on a beautiful, sunny day, fifty people came along to the allotment to enjoy food and games together, whilst celebrating the Platinum Jubilee and exploring the community allotment space and everything that’s being grown there.

table decorated with Union Jack themed items — Darnall Allotment Project Platinum Jubilee Celebrations

table set in sunshine with afternoon tea and Union Jack decorations — Darnall Allotment Project Platinum Jubilee Celebrations

Finally, our Making Memories Dementia Cafe in Handsworth held their own Platinum Jubilee afternoon tea at St Mary’s Community Hub. Everyone joined in with fairground games like Hook a Duck and a coconut shy, as well as plenty of Union Jack themed fun – and of course, a royal afternoon tea! There was even live music, thanks to Donna Bell, a local vocalist from Handsworth.

2 people playing inflatable Union Jack guitars in a church hall — Making Memories Dementia Cafe Platinum Jubilee Celebrations at St Mary’s Community Hub in Handsworth

people and bunting outside a church hall — Making Memories Dementia Cafe Platinum Jubilee Celebrations at St Mary’s Community Hub in Handsworth

We had some lovely feedback about all the events, including this email from 2 attendees at the Making Memories celebration:

Jo, I would just like to say thank you so much for the Jubilee celebration at St Mary’s community Hub. You made us feel so welcome. Such a pity mum was not up to coming. We will definitely be back in two weeks time. Please pass on my thanks to all your team for all there hard work it is very much appreciated. Thanks again for all you have done and continue to do.
Mum says thanks for the treats.
Dementia Cafe attendees