Great Torrington’s Remembrance Parade was very well attended this morning by representatives from many groups and organisations in the town together with a large turnout from members of the public. Led by the Torrington Silver Band, representatives of the armed forces and the Great Torrington Army Cadets, the parade marched to the War Memorial at the Cemetery where a very poignant service was held. Reverend Rob Blackhall led the service with readings by Mayor Cllr Doug Smith and Mr Sidney Adams, Chairman of the Great Torrington Branch of the Royal British Legion.
This morning, the Mayor of Great Torrington, Cllr Doug Smith, laid a wreath at Great Torrington’s war memorial on behalf of the town to commemorate Armistice Day. A small ceremony took place, led by the Mayor’s Chaplain, Rev Rob Blackhall. The Mayor was accompanied by his Beadle, Andy Griffiths, and was joined by The Chairman and President of the local Royal British Legion branch, Mr Sidney Adams and Miss Sue Mills, respectively.
This morning the Mayor of Great Torrington, Cllr Doug Smith, assisted Kim Insull of Really Wild Learning in selecting the winner of the Great Torrington Bug Hunt competition which ran throughout October. Kim brought Elsa the Milk Snake along too to help the Mayor choose the winner! The lucky winner was Allannah McConnachie and she will be awarded with a certificate and her prize later this week. Well done to everyone who entered the competition – we hope you enjoyed taking part in this fun activity.
Great Torrington’s Dementia Friendly Community working group were delighted to be able to launch Great Torrington’s Silent Space on Tuesday 26th October 2021 in the Secret Memorial Garden behind the Castle Hill building in Sydney House Car Park.
The Silent Space Project is a national initiative to create areas where people can find peace and tranquillity in natural settings, to switch off from technology, avoid talking loudly or be silent and enjoy nature: https://silentspace.org.uk/ . The idea for a Dementia Friendly Silent Space was put forward by Chris Porter, one of the founding members of the Dementia Friendly Community working group following a similar project her daughter worked on as part of her PhD. Chris and the working group thought having a Silent Space specifically for people living with dementia would be a great asset to the town as it works towards becoming dementia friendly. Very sadly Chris passed away suddenly last year so the work she did initially with this this project was put on hold temporarily and was recently completed by the Dementia Friendly Community working group.
At the launch the Chair of the working group, Cllr Di Davey, welcomed Liz Ware, Founder of the Silent Space Project, Cllr Doug Smith, Mayor of Great Torrington and Colin Porter, Chris’s husband who helped the Mayor unveil the new signage for the space. The garden will be designated a Silent Space on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons between the hours of 1:30 and 3:30pm each week.
The working group would like to thank everyone involved with making this launch possible, including the Torrington and District Community Development Trust who have kindly allowed us to use the Secret Memorial Garden for the Silent Space, their volunteers who maintain the garden so beautifully and Roger Davies for creating the new sign. The Dementia Friendly Community working group hopes that by designating the Secret Memorial Garden as a Silent Space on specific days, people living with dementia and their carers will find respite from the busy world we live in.
The Helpful Everyday Products Guide is packed with products that can make day-to-day life easier for people with dementia, including clocks, clothes and signs. Click here to download it from the Alzheimer’s Society website: https://shop.alzheimers.org.uk/21021-DLA_Catalogue_DIGITAL_FA.pdf
We want everyone affected by dementia in our community to get the support they need. Dementia Connect is a free personalised service that connects you to a range of support, so you’re only one call or click away from help: www.alzheimers.org.uk/dementiaconnect. Alternatively, you can speak to a dementia advisor at the Alzheimer’s Society on 0333 150 3456.
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To discover how they can help, contact them today and they will help you better understand the various treatment options in Devon. They offer a confidential helpline, and specialise in ‘making sense’ of the often complex nature of seeking out professional drug and alcohol addiction treatment. Contact them on 0800 140 4690 or via their website:-https://www.rehab4addiction.co.uk/contact-us.
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