Dementia professionals and carers recently came together to share best practice, and raise awareness of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’s MindSCAPE project, which strives to reconnect people living with dementia, and their carers, to the landscape of the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley.

Nearing the end of its four years’ of funding from The Big Lottery, the MindSCAPE conference brought together inspiring speakers to show how the project has made such a huge difference to participants and their families at crucial times in their lives.

We all know that ‘getting some fresh air’ does us the world of good, but studies show that spending time in the natural environment and connecting with nature can also have an extremely positive effect on our general well-being and physical health. To this end, MindSCAPE, through Artspace Cinderford and local artists, devised fun and stimulating activities, inspired by the natural environment, for people with dementia, and their families, to take part in.

Speakers included Helen Vaughan (NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group Health Policy and Activity in Older People), Tina Kukstas, (2gether NHS Foundation Trust), Hannah Elton-Wall, (Artspace Cinderford) and Liz Lavender, who shared her personal experience of the benefits of the project. Surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean, afternoon workshops introduced delegates to MindSCAPE activities, including Willow Weaving with Lin Powell, Storywalks with Roger Drury and Watercolours with Mariette Voke.

‘Just the right balance of information, personal stories, activities and meeting people’, was the feedback from one participant, and the conference ended with delegates pledging to act on the issues raised during the day.