TONBRIDGE’S Dementia Friendly Community [DFC] has been holding an art competition for young people – with the best entries to be featured in a calendar.
The winner of the competition will be announced at Tonbridge Castle on Friday [May 25] at 4.30pm as the climax of the town’s Dementia Action Week.
The judging panel consisted of people with dementia and their carers who attend the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Café in the Angel Centre, which is open on two Thursdays a month.
The awards will be presented by the newly appointed Mayor of Tonbridge & Malling, Pam Bates.
The subject was ‘Living well with dementia’ and artworks could be created in any medium. The contest was open to all children who live or go to school in the Ton-bridge area. There were three categories, for year groups four to six, seven to nine and ten to 13.
Four children in each category will receive WH Smith vouchers, along with age-appropriate books relating to dementia for their school library.
The finalists’ work will be exhibited at Tonbridge Old Fire Station for two weeks from May 29. Then it is hoped they will feature in a Tonbridge DFC calendar for 2019.
‘The team are excited about all the events happening and we hope they will encourage people to bec-ome dementia aware,’ said Chris Parker, DFC Tonbridge’s founder and Chair. ‘I am particularly excited about the response we’ve had to the children’s art competition.
‘Some of the entries have reduced me to tears. They show a great understanding of dementia.’
PICTURE: REFLECTIONS: A picture by Megan Haywood in Year Seven
