More than 300 carers who provide support to a loved one living with dementia in the London borough of Greenwich will get specialist support and advice, thanks to a grant from London Freemasons to the Greenwich Carers charity.

The £50,000 grant will fund a dedicated post that operates from Greenwich Carers Centre to provide specialist support to unpaid carers of people with dementia. This will include setting- up dementia-focused peer support groups that reduce isolation and connect carers with other carers facing similar challenges within their roles. 

Caring for someone living with dementia can be challenging, isolating and life consuming. Greenwich Carers Centre aims to ease the pressure on carers and reduce their loneliness and isolation. 

Importantly, the project will connect with many of the other services and opportunities provided by Greenwich Carers Centre to build social networks and encourage the take-up of much-needed support. The project will provide 80 specialist information, advice and guidance sessions for the borough’s community of Dementia Carers, engage them with the charity’s ‘Keep-in-Touch’ telephone mentoring service to ensure they are never entirely alone; and link them with a large range of activity groups to build friendships through shared experiences. 

Along with the support network, the project is all about engaging dementia carers with practical and often life-changing support too. That means things like increasing income through help with benefits, applying for blue badge parking permits, navigating a way through complex forms and being directly referred into other services a carer may need. 

The project will actively raise awareness of the needs of dementia Carers and work with community groups and local voluntary sector services to build support groups right across the community. It will share learning and work on an outreach basis with carers across the borough to develop contingency plans that will provide peace of mind. 

Greenwich Carers aims to have a real and lasting impact on those people within our society who dedicate their lives to the unpaid care of others: often alone, often in challenging circumstances and often at the expense of their own wellbeing. 

The grant from London Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.

Stu Tattersall, CEO of Greenwich Carers Centre said: “We’re very grateful to London Freemasons for their generous grant which means we can provide the specialist support that carers of loved ones with dementia really need. The quality of our general support is excellent, but this grant enables us to really build on our existing work and provide dedicated dementia support that improves the lives of unpaid carers managing complex, challenging and life-consuming care relationships”.

Paul King from London Freemasons, said: “I’m really pleased we’ve been able to help Greenwich Carers look after those who care for people with dementia. Anyone who’s actually done it will tell you that it’s very hard and very lonely work. Making their lives just a little easier is of enormous importance.”

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 54 April 2024 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 54 here.