A NATIONAL Lottery windfall received by the Wellington-based Reminiscence Learning charity will make a huge difference in helping the town to become a beacon of hope for dementia care.

The charity recently received the news it was being awarded £279,788 to drive forward its aim of making Wellington an official dementia inclusive community – the first in the region.

Reminiscence Learning’s chief executive Fiona Mahoney was at Wellington Town Council’s annual parish meeting on May 28 to thank the authority for its continued support.

The council has awarded the charity with £17,000 funding as part of a three-year Service Level Agreement.

This money helps to fund a number of difference services provided by Reminiscence Learning – Funday Fridays, Carers Support and the Archie Project intergenerational project.

Fiona said that funding really helped to make a difference in the local community with the support it can offer those people living with dementia and their carers.

But the National Lottery support will enable Reminiscence Learning to go from strength to strength in the future.

A dementia inclusive community is one where people living with dementia are supported by the local community — everyone from the Local Authority to shops and businesses — to fully participate in society.

The money will help the charity appoint two new officers and work towards opening a High Street hub in Wellington, which can be a drop-in point for anyone wanting help in understanding dementia and how to deal with the next steps.

Clear and colourful signage with short burst “dementia awareness prompts” will be put up around the town, to help people living with dementia, and businesses will be offered signs for their shops and offices in order to enhance the shopping experience for those living with dementia.

“We want to get to a point where every shop, every workplace, every public space in Wellington is dementia inclusive,” added Fiona.