New Dementia Friendly for Congleton steering group has first meeting!

Congleton Dementia Steering Group has had its first meeting. The aim of the group is to make Congleton a dementia friendly town. The full meeting minutes HERE. 

 

Highlights include:

1 Welcome & Apologies

 

Meeting was chaired by Sara Rathbone

 

Round Robin of introductions for new members and guests.  Link to DF ‘get involved’ DFC communities.  Guidance for becoming a Dementia Friendly Community to follow from Jessica McFall of Alzheimer’s Society (Dementia Coordinator for Cheshire East).

 

 

 

Apologies were received from :

Sandy Duffy, Jess Shore, Debbie Callow, Joanne Fishwick, Matt Steele

2. Minutes / Matters Arising from the last meeting.

 

There had been no previous meeting of the steering group only an Awareness Meeting held on 26th July which 40+ people attended, a number indicated their willingness to get involved with this steering group.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. In the general preamble :- Sara suggested that small changes can make a big difference and it is not all about large projects

Margaret Butcher raised the issue of how we support the carers particularly out of hours.

Lisa Alcock advised all of a new Live Well Website that is being launched in October by Cheshire East. www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/livewell/livewell

Jo Hawkins also mentioned www.alzheimers.org.uk/local-information/dementia-connect

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Open Forum / Ideas / Activities.

Table Tennis

SR is now an Ambassador for Bat for Alzheimer’s charity (not part of Alzheimer’s Society).  This aims to bring table tennis into more settings to increase health and wellbeing for those living with dementia and also more widely within any care setting. They are looking for places to site and sponsor the tables. Included in any costs would be support to train volunteers to host table tennis sessions.

Claire Halsey from East Cheshire Hospice outlined their work with Carers and course available and also their new Dementia services. https://www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/dementia-care.

Memory Walks.

https://www.memorywalk.org.uk/find-a-walk/cheshire/

https://www.memorywalk.org.uk/organiseyourown/

Here is a link to the Cheshire Memory Walk for 2017.  We thought it might be good to organise a Congleton walk for 2018.  Here is the link.  Suggest putting on the agenda in early 2018 to gain support.  Or liaise with AS to have the Cheshire walk in Congleton?

Link to Dementia Friends sessions that people can book onto using their location to find them https://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/WEBSession#.WdIllEyZOb8

Link to upcoming Dementia Champion session in Crewe that provide training to become a Champion and then able to offer Dementia Friends sessions within the community https://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/WEBTrainingDetails?id=a050J00000UmBI2QAN&user_type=#.WdIm3kyZOb8

 

Next Meeting:-

Wednesday 4th October, 2.00pm, Old Saw Mill.

Congleton Sustainability meeting minutes 4.09.17

Congleton’s Sustainability meeting took place recently, download the full meeting minutes HERE.

Highlights include:

BF Geothermal report.

BF put together a short guide to geothermal ready for this meeting including suggested questions for Dan Griffiths prior to his visit 2nd October. These were circulated prior to the meeting.

Mention was also made of the article in The Chronicle (31.8.17) by Prof John Underhill (Shell Centre for Exploration Geoscience ,Heriot-Watt Univ, where he is of the opinion that Britain’s geology could be unsuitable for shale gas.
List of Questions to be sent to D.Griffiths:-
1. How do you know that there is potential for geothermal in Cheshire East? Which parts have the potential? Confirm that this is for district heating, not electricity.eothermal in Cheshire East? Which parts have the potential? Confirm that this is for district heating, not electricity.
2. What stage are you at now? What surveys, tests or research have been done, and with what results? (CE had DECC money for a feasibility study for a geothermal district heating scheme for Crewe town centre in 2015. Has that study reported?)
3. What do you intend to do now? For example what sort of schemes are planned, what areas will they serve, when will work start and when will it be completed. What will be the extent of the schemes e.g. number of houses, kilowatt hours or other appropriate units.
4. Who will develop the schemes? Cheshire East, arms length companies, independent operators….. ?
5. Who has the rights to geothermal resources (landowners, council, government…. ) and what permissions are required?
6. Would fracking be required to improve the flow of water through the heat bearing rocks? Why would this be any more friendly than fracking for gas?
7. Would the returning hot water be free of pollutants picked up from the hot rocks, and would there be any danger to users? For example from radioactivity or radon gas or other toxic substances?
8. Confirm that access to geothermal would not give CE any power to resist fracking for gas.
9. Please discuss the energy planning of Cheshire East, and the part played by geothermal.
MS send to D.Groffiths copy in D.Brown and G.Williams

 

Badger Cull in Cheshire.

Barry asked for this to be raised at the meeting following a report in The Chronicle (31.8.17)
Currently a decision on a cull has not been made according to Natural England, and it would appear that Wildlife activist are raising the issue as a potential threat. Cheshire police indicate that they have a plan in place should a licence for badger culling be granted in Cheshire.
It was decided that PA would write to the Chronicle to be seen to support Cheshire Wildlife Trust and their stance on the matter.

 

Next Meeting:-
Mon 2nd October 2017 The Old Saw Mill ,10.00am