Fundraising boost for Songs for the Memory charity

West Country accountants and financial planners, Old Mill, have agreed to support Frome-based charity Songs for the Memory for a year.

Songs for the Memory is a community singing group for those directly and indirectly affected by dementia and Janet Knowles – a client of Old Mill – is one of the organisers.

Janet’s husband Bob suffers from dementia, which is why she knows first-hand just how important the charity is to the local community.

Janet said, “Dementia affects 850,000 people in the UK, and 81,000 of those live in the South West. And while there is no cure for dementia, studies have shown that familiar music and lyrics can really help, both to ‘unlock’ nostalgic memories and give sufferers a sense of social inclusiveness.”

“Three years ago, as part of its ‘Singing for the Brain’ initiative, the Alzheimer’s Society set up our group in Frome. It was a real godsend for Bob and the others, but sadly, in September 2017 it lost its funding.”

After seeing how much it had helped her husband and the others, Janet and a team of hard working volunteers decided they couldn’t see it shut down through lack of funding. So, they renamed the group Songs for the Memory, and have worked tirelessly ever since to fund it independently.

Songs for the Memory relies on donations and sponsorship, and this year, Old Mill have donated money to fund the charity’s activities for a year.

Kevin Whitmarsh, commercial director at Old Mill, has been Janet and Bob’s financial planner for many years. He visited Songs for the Memory recently to present Janet with a cheque, saying, “As a community-based business, we interact with the lives of many people, so it is very difficult to know where to start to help, as we simply cannot do enough.

“I am touched by Janet’s unrelenting commitment to her husband Bob with this very difficult illness and so the huge value they personally put on what Songs for the Memory brings to them was what compelled Old Mill to try and do our little bit. We wish all who are associated with this amazing group the very best for the future.”

Janet added, “We are so grateful to Old Mill; their kind donation will make a huge difference and should cover the running costs of the group, which includes paying for a singing leader, song sheets and refreshments – for a whole year.”