Monday 17th March 2025

Funding applications have become a part of my life and this week it’s been Awards for All and One City Trust. As much as they can be long and laborious, I do find them a positive challenge. What do I mean? Writing about Forget Me Notes allows me a time of reflection and a time when I can be specific about what we offer and what we achieve. We don’t always get a “yes” but if we get enough yeses to continue to provide a positive service that is all that counts.

On Tuesday I was doing supervision for a project we deliver at Open Door in Morningside. It is a wonderful project made that way by those that take part in it. We want to develop a three-year project and so we spent some time looking at what a third year might look like. This would mean that we would have three years of work that could be built into a package that could be delivered in any centre. We will also have an evaluation that goes with our work in order that we can evidence the value of the project.

The highlight of our week was singing at the Parliament. We had great fun and we were able to share our message of how music is good for your health. If delivered in imaginative and creative ways, then we can save the health service a lot of money. Kenny did a video of the occasion, and I have attached it to this post for you to view. Kenny has done a great job, and I am sure you will love it. It just so happens that Forget Me Notes is seven years old this month. What a way to celebrate.

Friday was spent at Strachan House and Craighall. We had a good-sized group at Strachan House but one or two people being unwell meant not as many as usual. This allowed us the opportunity to work closely with those who did come. We discovered one resident was a pianist and had played at the recent service that was held in the home. We heard other snippets relating to the lives of the residents and through music we were able to celebrate what makes them unique with a story all their own. In the afternoon we were at Craighall for another session. One of the residents who we have met there is not well. He was a long-distance runner who won a lot of different titles for running. He is also a lovely warm human being, and we had the privilege of singing with him. However ill he is when we sang “Wonderful World”, he joined in singing the words with a faint movement of his lips. These privileged moments are ones that I value so much.

What a week and now we start another with new opportunities, new stories and people to value. Have a great week.

Monday 3rd March 2025

It was seven years ago in March when we took the decision to register The Forget Me Notes Project as a charity. We had one choir and some Music Memories sessions. We took the plunge believing that the journey ahead would offer us opportunities to support people through music. The journey that we have gone on has been one that we could never have predicted. I can say without fear of contradiction that we have experienced surprises along the way! Many people have recalled memories and shared stories with us that have been amazing. We have seen and heard communications that we would never have thought possible. Most of all we have a built a community that is strong, supporting each other through many challenging and difficult times.

Seven years later and we have evolved into an organisation that has five choirs, a volunteer project that completed 250 individual visits in the last year, a Music Memories project that has fully recovered after Covid and is now delivering more sessions. We also have a Music Therapy project working with those in the later stages of their illness.

It is true to say that as an organisation all that we do needs to be underpinned by a constitution and policies that are fit for purpose and which we can depend upon and work with.

Why is this the topic of this week’s post?

We held our AGM on Thursday with almost thirty people present, some voting and some community members. All those present had the interest of The Forget Me Notes Project at heart. I want to say a huge thank you to those trustees and staff who have with Paul’s help developed a constitution that will stand as our foundation for future evolution.

We will also spend time this year with an external group supporting us to look at our policies to ensure they are robust. This will mean that our practice will provide purpose and strength for both those who work with us and those who we support.

The Forget Me Notes Project is another year older and we are growing up from a new emerging service into a vital organisation for those with a lived experience of dementia and additional needs.

This project belongs to all those who have used it over the last seven years, those who use it now and those who will use it into the future. It is important that we reflect those who use our services and that at the heart of all that we do is the empowering of people.

This does feel like an important milestone in our journey. Your support is a vital part of who we are and who we will become.

Thank you for the part that you have played in our journey.

Monday 10th February 2025

The week began with our team meeting. It is always good to get together and understand what we are all doing and gain a sense of its impact. We are getting ready for our AGM and the next production of our Newsletter.

This past week our music memories sessions included St Bride’s, St Cuthbert’s, Morningside, Eagle Lodge, Marian House, Ashbrook and a new setting for us: Life Care. It is always interesting to see how a session in a new setting goes, beginning to establish new relationships both with those who use the service and staff members. We took a mixture of Scottish songs and songs for Valentine’s Day. It was interesting to see just how quickly people felt able to share their story with us. It was also interesting to see how those with dementia were able to access communication at the level of other participants.

Following our training last week, I produced a paper on the types of dementia and the impact dementia may have. It is always an interesting paper to write because dementia is so individual, and context plays a huge part in the way people respond. The good thing about building relationships with people whether they have dementia or not is that the cornerstone must be respect. When we come to realise that we are all complex, diverse people, then we understand the reason to make room for others who are diverse and complex too.

Saughton Park on Thursday was a great session with a wonderful energy about it. Singing in a greenhouse does have a certain ring to it and being caught up in nature is also something that can be so inspiring.

Talking of having a ring to it. We were at the Festival Theatre on Friday doing some songs for Valentine’s and some from Mary Poppins. The show in the main theatre now is Mary Poppins and some of the cast popped in (I stole that line from Paul who told it on Friday). The singing from the cast was wonderful so uniting together to sing the Mary Poppins songs was just the best. The sound when we sang “Let’s go fly a kite” was unbelievable and the accents when singing Supercalafragalistic (if that’s how you spell it) were so much better than Dick van Dyke. Talking of Dick van Dyke have you seen the video of him and Chris Martin from Coldplay? It is wonderful. I am sure you would find it on You Tube. Dick van Dyke is 99 years old and has dementia. The care with which Chris Martin allows the interview to unfold is just brilliant. The music being a catalyst for a great exchange between the two of them.

Another exciting week to share with you. Hope you have a great week, and I will let you know how we get on next time.

Monday 3rd February 2025

I don’t know about you, but it seems amazing that it is February already.

What an amazing evening on Friday at the Ceilidh. There were so many moments that were highlights during the evening. Over ninety people turned up to share the evening and if you wanted to share an evening of respect then you couldn’t have chosen a better place to be. The participants were symbolic of the song Union of Different Kinds that we sang midway through the evening. What do I mean by that? Well there were people with additional needs, those with dementia, young children of six and others who were ninety-six. All singing, dancing and enjoying their supper together. It was truly a celebration full of respect and love.

I have a lasting image of the dancing when there was a group dance which included the dancing splitting into two lines with a gap down the middle. One couple danced through the middle moving to the top and then back to the bottom end of the line. The beauty of the moment was that the couple dancing through the middle of the lines was a person being pushed in a wheelchair. It was as though they were the star of the show. Pure dead brilliant!

Earlier in the week at a training afternoon we considered how we ensured we gave people power within our sessions. Well, there was the living demonstration of how to do it.

There were so many people we needed to say thank you to that included: Jean and the team in the kitchen who served an amazing Haggis supper. To Kenny and the band for the way in which they provided such an inclusive evening of dancing, to Paul and John who organised the raffle so well. We haven’t got a figure for how much we raised but it will be somewhere around £500.

What we cannot measure the effect upon all our well-being, otherwise called the feel-good factor. One thing for sure is that the energy in the room was wonderful with everyone supporting everyone else to have a great time.

There is so much said about equality and diversity and how a person is worthy of their place. Well, the Forget Me Notes Ceilidh was an example of how to do both, and speaking for myself: bring on the next time.

Have a great week.

Monday 27th January 2025

If you were watching Michael McIntyre on Saturday, you would have seen Peter. Peter is an 81-year-old gentleman whose wife has dementia (she has subsequently died). Peter has gone to see her every day and while there has sung to her and the other people on the ward. Peter said he hoped to give them a lift with his singing. Peter was the unexpected star of the show, and he sang at the end of the programme the song “Smile”. It would not be a surprise to know that Jean had a tear in her eye and so did I. It was a beautiful moment and a tribute to both Peter and his wife.

If you are reading this, you must have survived the weather on Friday. It was scary at times, and I hope that your house and gardens survived too. Paul and I have managed to get two funding applications submitted this week and because I was in all day on Friday, I have been able to write an application to Awards for All which is the National Lottery fund in Scotland.

We had some great Music Memories sessions this week as well as a visit to All singing and dancing, a group for those with additional needs. To call it inspiring is an understatement. I also managed to secure more work going forward with a Day Centre in Leith which is wonderful.

No one would believe that January is supposed to be a quite month!

In the words of my mate John “dementia doesn’t take time

off”. With that in mind then we seek to offer different types of support at different times to different people. We found a song this week sung by the Fisherman friends’ choir; it is called “The Union of Different Kinds”. It is a great song and suits us at Forget Me Notes so well, we celebrate the fact that we are all different and that when we respect each other’s differences, enabling each person to reach the best version of themselves as possible, then we build the best Forget Me Notes that is possible to achieve.

If you have been on Eventbrite to get Ceilidh tickets for Friday and found that there isn’t any left don’t worry - by tomorrow there will be another twenty tickets available.

Hope to see some of you on Friday evening. Have a great week.

Monday 20th January 2025

The preparations for the Ceilidh are going well with several different raffle prizes. We have a Guitar, M&S Vouchers, Meal and Ceilidh vouchers for Ceilidh connections and lots of other prizes. The tickets are going well so if you haven’t got a ticket, you should try and get one this week or you might be disappointed. Kenny’s band are well known for their brilliant Ceilidh evenings so I know it will be a great evening.

We are also getting ready for our AGM next month which means the invitations are going out to both voting and community members. If this is something you would like to be a part of then just let us know.

We completed our sessions at Blenham House with a marvellous Scottish afternoon. We have delivered three sessions paid for by a family who wanted to do something for the residents of the care home where their parents lived until they died. What an amazing gift and so thoughtful. We hope we did their memory proud with Bonnie wee Jeanie McColl and The Jeelly Piece song going down well. We also sang “A man’s a man for a that”. A wonderful piece of writing by Rabbie Burns. The final verse of that song is all about hope for the future and as we have watched those appalling scenes in the Middle East lets hope there are better days ahead.

This week saw us back at Saughton Park and the first filming taking place of the digital project. We hope that in future Facebook posts we will be able to give you some visual examples of some of the things we do which will show the impact of our work in a more complete way. We were also back at Ashbrook this week. It is so good to see increased numbers and people engaging so freely with the session. Cramond Residence on Friday saw an equally amazing session with staff getting into the rock and roll songs with dance moves like I have never seen before.

At our Trustee meeting John spoke about an idea for a project. John and Kenny had delivered some live music in someone’s home as part of a celebration. The idea is that we could offer this on a wider scale. It is sometimes difficult to support vulnerable people being involved in large party groups, but small in-house celebrations or external family bespoke celebrations are easier and worth consideration. We decided at the meeting that this was something that we can do and once we have sorted a budget then we will put the details on our website. If you are looking for a family celebration inclusive of someone who is vulnerable and might find bigger settings more difficult. Then why not give this some consideration.

Life never stands still at Forget Me Notes - we are always looking for innovative ways to promote inclusion and build community.

As the Beatles once sang “All you need is Love”.

Have a great week.

Monday 13th January 2025

The first working week of a new year and we have had a positive start. We have had two new care homes enquire about us working with them. One has already confirmed, and we will start work on the 28th of January. We will need to wait and see what might be possible at the other care home. We delivered sessions at Morningside, Eagle Lodge, Strachan House and Craighall. When we arrived at Craighall we discovered that one of the residents who attends the group was not so well. We decided that we would go and sing to him in his room. It was great to see such a positive reaction to the music as he tapped his feet. Kenny and I got a lift seeing him do this.

On Thursday Libby, Elizabeth and I had a meeting at RS Macdonald, this was to look at our monitoring and evaluation to see if we could find a way of storing and accessing the information more easily. This will be of great help to me when doing funding applications, as all the information is in one place.

We are due to submit a report to RS Macdonald with regard our volunteer project. Elizabeth has completed the report, and it was a joy to read and understand all that has been achieved over the last year. We have been able to complete more than 250 visits to people’s homes to deliver music sessions to those people who have difficulty in attending community activities. Behind this number lies relationships that are both precious and important to those receiving them and their families. One Gentleman who plays the violin enjoys duets with his volunteer. His family have decided that the impact of being a part of a group means that they now pay for private support in order that he can come to St Brides each week. What is so good when the Gentleman plays at St Brides, is that he plays alongside one of our facilitators Roddy who also plays violin. There are times in order that his playing is affirmed that Roddy will follow him and play a piece in time with the gentleman. When I watch him play, I see the impact it has and the joy that he feels is written all over his face. After reading Elizabeth’s report I must admit that a tear filled my eye when I realised the impact that this part of the project is making. I could never have thought that we would be so affective and deliver something so precious.

We now have tickets available for the Ceilidh and we have been looking for raffle prizes. We already have a Guitar, Vouchers for Marks & Spencer’s and various other prizes. I am sure it is going to be a great evening. Tickets are £12 and if you would like to come and join us then just let me know.

Hope you have a great week.

Monday 6th January 2025

When it comes to TV over Christmas, I should have mentioned Gavin and Stacey. If you have recorded it and haven’t seen it yet, then please watch it.  You can also watch the amazing documentary that goes with it and this certainly helped me to understand the story and humour in greater depth. Anyway, I don’t just want to discuss Gavin and Stacey, but in the words of Ness “What’s occurring”?

The opening few days of this year has been all about funding applications. I am hoping I have found a couple of crackers. They appear to fit our remit beautifully so here is hoping. One of the trusts encourages a phone call before application which is what I like. The opportunity of an in-person call can often help the process along well. I intend getting in touch this morning and see where the call goes.

I also have a call this morning with a new Care Home that has intimated that they would be interested in working with us in the New Year and another that has possibilities too.

On the 31st of January at St Brides in Dalry we are holding a fundraising Ceilidh. Kenny’s band will be supporting the evening, and I am sure we will have fun together. We start the evening at 6:30 with 45 minutes of singing together (typical Forget Me Notes) a short break and then into the Ceilidh dancing. That will run from 7:30 until 8:15 with a half hour break for a Haggis supper. At 8:45 we will recommence the dancing finishing the evening between 9:30 and 9:45. All for the princely sum of £12. If you would like tickets, then if you contact me I am sure we can get them to you.

I realise that today may well be the first day back at work for many of you who are reading this post, so hope it goes well.

Happy New Year.

1st January 2025

I wonder what kind of a Christmas you have had. Too much food, drink and Christmas TV?

TV at Christmas is always a challenge in that your favourite programme is always at a different time and on a different day. On the 6th of January it will all return to normal again. There have been two programs on at Christmas that have touched me and made me think. The first was Si King, one of the Hairy Bikers, paying tribute to his mate Dave Myers. There were 46,000 bikers who took part in the journey to Barrow to acknowledge the impact that Dave had had upon their lives. It was very inspiring and the message that I took from the show was that being yourself is always enough. 

The second TV programme was the Princess of Wales’ Carol Service, this may come as a surprise to those that know me!  The message that Catherine shared herself, the message of the Bishop of Westminster and the overall content of the service was beautiful. There was one moment in the Carol Service that brought a tear to my eye when Chris Hoy lit a candle. A candle always speaks to me of light and hope and Chris has so openly shared his story of this last year, he shared with strength and hope for years to come. Imagine how I felt on Christmas Day when Jean gave me the book “Sir Chris Hoy - All That Matters”. I love autobiographies, and this one brings into perspective all the things that Chris has shared over the last few months. They say you should never put people on a pedestal as they will fall off.  Well, I am sure I have fallen off a few pedestals through the years. It’s what you do to get back up again that shows character. I am not worried about putting Chris Hoy on a pedestal and if he were to fall off, I hope I would be there to pick him up again.

The beginning of a New Year is often a time to reflect on the previous year. both the highs and the lows. As a Forget Me Note the lows are found in the people who are no longer with us. The term “Once a Forget Me Note always a Forget Me Note” is not just for now it is for ever. The memories we share of people who are no longer with us are inspiring and the people will always have a place in our hearts. To those who are entering a New Year without a partner, a parent, a friend, then please be assured of our support and our continued thoughts.

When it comes to highs there have been so many, the obvious ones are the two TV appearances that we made. The ones I will personally remember are the interactions with people where through music we received unexpected responses. The gentleman at Marian House whose eyes light up when we appear, the wonderful comments that are made by the wife of a couple we support at Ashbrook. There are so many moments that I could list at the various places we have been throughout 2024, and if 2025 offers the same opportunity I for one will be a happy man.

I wonder what you hope for from 2025? 

Personally, I hope for the opportunity to be the best husband, Dad and Grandad I can be. To be the best Forget Me Note to those that we support. My hope for Forget Me Notes is that we can find some trust funds who will give us some money so that we can continue to be a beacon of support to the people who need us.

Happy New Year!

Monday 23rd December 2024

Two days to go and Santa will have either come down the chimney or he’s come through the front door. Chatting with someone on Friday about not having a tree up yet, I was reminded that there is more to Christmas than decorations, presents and cards, this is a season to value those people who are dear to us and to take the time to tell them. 

This week at Forget Me Notes it has all been about singing at parties and carol singing in the Gyle. One of the best things after singing at parties is the time when we thank day centre or care home staff for their work throughout the year. In the Gyle it was passing leaflets and giving people the opportunity to become a part of Forget Me Notes. Letting them know that there is a place for them if they want it.

I was reminded of a time a few years ago when we were singing at Morrisons, and it became apparent that a lady was distressed. One of my colleagues spent quite a time listening to her story of loss of a loved one. Well, the same thing happened to me on Thursday. I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to the lady at Morrisons and I wonder what my support did for the lady on Thursday.

As I have already said, Christmas is more than tinsel and trimmings so take the time to tell someone just how much they matter to you. While you may choose to do that with a present, there are different ways of communicating. So, whatever your method of communication is, let someone know that you care as it can be transformational.

Have a great week.

Monday 16th December 2024

It has been a busy week, along with the various Music Memories sessions this week has seen some extra Christmas activities. On Monday evening we were Karaoke singing with the volunteers for their Christmas night out. It was a great evening, not much solo singing although Edith did do a couple of numbers. We all sang together, and it was true to say we all had a good time.

On Tuesday and Thursday, we were Carol singing with the Choir - Tuesday at Pentland Plants, where it was great to have six additions to the choir and we managed about an hour and a half. Thank you to the owners of Pentland Plants who gave us all a poinsettia, which was so kind (that’s Jean’s present taken care of for another year!). On Thursday we were in the Gyle, or should I say nearly in the Gyle as we were in the cube near Marks and Spencer’s, it was freezing. We had a great reception though and had two lovely ladies join us and they sang with us for half an hour. These opportunities give us the chance to share the story of Forget Me Notes and reach out to others who might benefit from our support.

We got a message from Alex at Capital Theatres to say that they were doing a recording of Gus’s song on Friday which would be recorded by STV and would the choir like to be a part of the filming. On Friday we gathered at around 10:30 at The Christmas Tree and recorded a piece for the news programme. Both Elaine and Ian were interviewed as part of the filming so it will be great to see it when it goes out. It should be this coming week that they show it.

If you haven’t heard Gus’s song, then here is the link. I think you will enjoy it, we think it’s great: https://capitaltheatres.ffm.to/christmaslikeitwasbefore

The song was written by those who attend the group Songwriting Sprint. This is part of The Capital Theatres Dementia support programme which is attended by some of those who attend Forget Me Notes. We are proud of the partnership we have with Capital Theatres - they are all just brilliant.

Hope you have a good week and manage to get all your shopping completed!

Monday 9th December 2024

My friend Dawn sent me this and after doing a post on Thursday I think this clip says all that I want to say. Two beautiful people sharing in the support of each other. In all the festivities of Christmas the message here is all that we need to know.

https://youtu.be/o4OlL0OpbW8

Have a great week. Try and find someone who needs your support to tell their story this week. It will do you both the power of good.

Speak to you next week.

Thursday 5th December 2024

Wow what a day! I don’t suppose you were expecting another post this week and neither was I. Today has been such a significant day not only for Forget Me Notes but for me too.

Today Kenny and I delivered sessions at Prospect Bank, a school for children with additional needs, and what a special time it was for Kenny and me. We delivered three sessions, each one of them different yet each one of them enabled self-expression of those children present. Most of the school children from the school were going to see Cinderella at the Festival Theatre but we were going to the school to work with those children who couldn’t attend. We were also going to tell the story of Cinderella using different songs enabling each child to experience something of the story. The morning was so special because Forget Me Notes have never worked in such a setting before. It was also special because Kenny and I were working in an environment that we had never worked together before. The response of the children was amazing in so many ways, it was so touching and precious.

This afternoon we were at Saughton Park. It was a Christmas session as we won’t be back there before the New Year. The last few sessions have seen two young people with additional needs attend, along with frail, elderly people with a lived experience of dementia and people who simply enjoy singing together. I had a moment in the afternoon when I had to take a deep breath as I realised the inclusive community that we are building together. It came when I watched one of the young people signing to one of our Christmas songs.

The emotions that I have experienced in my own heart today are more than any one heart can contain and has meant this evening taking a time of reflection and response. Reflection as to what brought about the responses to the music and how we can learn in order that we maximise these opportunities in the future. All I know is that the phrase “Happy Christmas” was so powerfully met in what I experienced today.

Sunday 1st December 2024

Another interesting and busy week. Along with Music Memory groups and Choir we had two very different activities.

A housing crisis was identified in Edinburgh just over a year ago and as benefactors of The One City Trust, we were invited to around the table discussion by the Lord Provost where we were to look at homelessness and the housing crisis. The discussions and presentations were all very interesting. We split into small groups and discussed how the voluntary sector could offer services that would assist and support people with issues relating to housing. The beauty of meetings like this is that it helps you to reflect and see how Forget Me Notes provide a community that becomes a vital part of the support people receive. At St Brides we have a Chinese community of five people who attend most weeks. This all began on week one of the St Brides group just eighteen months ago. We were drumming up support and asked a lady if she would like to come and sing. She said that she didn’t speak English, so we encouraged her to come and sing in Chinese. Since that first week she has brought four friends, she sings a solo each week, gives out song sheets and supports the care home attendees. It is so good to see her confidence grow and understand what her attendance at the group means to her. I can only imagine what it must be like to move from a country from the other side of the world to a housing area in Edinburgh where there are known social disadvantages and not to be able to speak the language. This lady has found a community, a home that gives her the space to express herself affecting all aspects of her life and sense of well-being. It is as I reflect on situations like this that I realise just how much Forget Me Notes have to offer when considering those people who are displaced and haven’t a home.

Yesterday (Saturday) we celebrated with Morningside Hope, a day centre in Morningside who support various dementia projects. It was great to see around one hundred people singing and sharing stories of what has been delivered over the last three years by the project. The Music Memories group has evolved and changed in that time with new people and people moving on. It was good to be able to celebrate all that we have achieved together.

We have another exciting week ahead with some amazing challenges that I can talk to you about next week.

Speak to you next time.

Monday 25th November 2024

Once again, I realised just how good it is to work with the guys at Open Door. On Monday I did supervision with Jill. It gave us the opportunity to look at Monday, Tuesday and Friday’s groups and how our project Music for Health and Wellbeing will be rolled out in the New Year. Kenny and I then did our session on Tuesday afternoon at Open Door. It was great and gave us the chance to hear and explore stories of those who attend.

We recently wrote a report for the Weir Trust as we have come to an end of their funding. During this last year we have consolidated three choirs and developed another two so that we now have five services that anyone can come to without a need for referral or waiting lists. The Weir Trust have put our photos and report on their website to show how grants can be used to develop services. It is quite a compliment.

On Thursday we were at Saughton Park learning a new song that we would be singing at an Edinburgh Winterfest event. It’s a great new song written by our friend Gus and will be released on the 2nd of December. The song was written by those who attend Capital Theatres Dementia support programme. Once it has been released, we will give you the details so you will be able to listen to it.

On Friday we held our Trustee meeting which was very productive and will lead to another exciting new development, which I can tell you about soon. I then had a meeting with a representative of Scottish Government. We will be singing in the parliament in March next year. We were discussing the practical issues that need to be addressed if we are to make the most of this opportunity.

Sunday came around and Singing at the Winterfest followed the snow we all got on Saturday. The snow had disappeared by Sunday so the event could go ahead. The Ross bandstand is situated in the middle of Princes Street Gardens so singing in such a high-profile place was great. To be a part of Edinburgh’s Winter Festival will not do us any harm at all. It was good to have so many people singing along to the songs we were singing and to see those shopping on Princes Street taking notice of what was happening. Raising the voices of those living with Dementia is a privilege and changing the world a step at time can become a reality.

Well, I listened to the weather report telling me it would calm down this week. It doesn’t sound very calm right now so take care and we can speak again next week.

Tuesday 19th November 2024

We have been a part of the second National Dementia Arts Festival in Scotland, which this year was based in Edinburgh. The Choir sang at the opening reception which was attended by the Scottish Health Minister. We were also able to show a film of our work, have an exhibition stand that featured the volunteer project and do a presentation on music for health and wellbeing. It was also good to meet up with people you haven’t seen for a while. The quality of the festival was excellent with some great films to watch from the group Meeting Places and then a wonderful disco on the Thursday. All round it was an excellent event.

Along with the various Music Memories sessions and indoor choir it was a busy week. I also had the privilege of accompanying one of our trustees to an All Singing and Dancing group on Tuesday. All Singing and Dancing is a group for those living with additional needs. It is inspiring to see how people are given the freedom to move and enjoy the music in a way that is appropriate to them. Kenny who runs the group and I are going to deliver three sessions at a school for children with additional needs based on the story of Cinderella. Cinderella in 30 minutes will be a challenge, but it is a challenge that I am really looking forward to.

The new Dementia strategy in Scotland brings in the community of those living with additional needs and in particular Down’s Syndrome closer together with the traditional support offered to those living with Dementia. Being able to work with this group of amazing people will be a wonderful opportunity for Forget Me Notes and for me. What do they say? learn something new it’s good for the brain. Well, I think I will be learning a lot through this new experience.

We are getting closer to December and those well-known Christmas songs are beginning to be dusted off and used again. By January I think Frosty the Snowman will just about have run out of steam. Talking of snow, I think there is a chance of seeing some this week.

Keep wrapped up and I’ll speak to you next week.

Tuesday 12th November 2024

I didn’t do my post yesterday as we had posted so many times over the weekend that you might have got fed up with hearing from us.

What an amazing event on Saturday. Throughout the Sing-a-thon we sang 133 songs which was truly amazing. Paul won’t need to attend the gym for some time that’s for sure. It was great to see those members of the Forget Me Notes family we don’t see regularly. I think that Jacqui must have danced for at least eleven of the twelve hours, what stamina! Seeing people of all ages sing and express themselves through music was brilliant. You will be keen to know that with the gift aid included we have raised £2000 so far with some money still to come in. Thank you all so much for all your support, it is appreciated so much.

The choir yesterday sang at the second National Dementia Arts Festival. They were great. During the festival this week, we will deliver a presentation, show a film and present our volunteer project through an exhibition of different written and photographic evidence. Forget Me Notes is rapidly becoming a significant player in the Dementia Arts world. This is largely due to all the support you give us.

Take care and speak to you next week.

Monday 28th October 2024

This week saw us delivering Music Memories sessions at Morningside, Cramond, Open Door, Stenhouse, Eildon House and St Bride’s. I promised myself that when I got to 60 I would no longer be a manager and would be found delivering services on the shop floor. I suppose my role is a mixture of some management but predominantly I find myself delivering services and I love it. I even got the opportunity to drop in at Quarries where I haven’t been for six months. The funding to continue to deliver the service has run out, however, Alan has been able to keep the group together on a voluntary basis to ensure that those who need it get access to music.

Tuesday saw me with an office day. These days are rare and when they happen it is about building a to-do list to make sure that as best I can I cover the outstanding issues required. I was able to write a report to the Weir Trust to share with them how we had used their grant over the last year. Reflecting on our Choir project was so good, understanding how things have developed. Not only do we have our Indoor Choir, Zoom Choir and Choir in the Park but we have added another two Choirs as well. I was also able to write my Service and Funding report ready for Friday’s Trustee meeting, at which we were able to confirm another contracted member of staff. The position is part time, but it is a sign of continuous evolvement.

This week we have confirmed that we will be able to deliver three sessions at a school for children with special needs. This is an amazing step for Forget Me Notes and we need to work hard at meeting the challenge that this affords us. The new Scottish dementia strategy means that people with special needs who develop dementia will get the support from a mainstream dementia service. This means that developing in this area will be a big step for The Forget Me Notes Project.

All these things cost money and for that reason we are holding our annual Sing-a-thon on the 9th of November - it will run from 8am until 8pm. If you would like to join us, then you can book a space on Zoom. If you want to sponsor us and choose a song for the request hour, then that would be wonderful.

Here are the links:

Tickets for joining on Zoom: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/forget-me-notes-singathon-2024-tickets-1037772484437

Donations: https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/campaign/sing-a-thon-2024

Have a great week.

Monday 21st October 2024

This week has been an emotional week. I told you last week about Peter Cormack dying and I watched the tribute that Liverpool FC have on their website. It was great to hear Peter’s voice and see so many highlights of his career at Liverpool. I then watched Strictly on Saturday and Chris danced to “You’ll never walk alone”, it was so moving. Then I went on the donate page for our Sing-a-thon and read the messages that have been left. One of the messages spoke about a person finding the voice that Alzheimer’s was robbing him of at Forget Me Notes and another who was saying just how much her Dad was enjoying their singing together.

The aims of Forget Me Notes are: to challenge isolation, build community and enhance self-expression. Realising that we are creating environments that enable people to express themselves and find fulfilment in the relationships they have with family through the songs we sing together is simply wonderful.

I went on Tuesday to collect copies of our new newsletter. You can find it on our website with a lovely interview of Jacqui and Robert. Their relationship is truly inspiring. Seeing them sing and dance together just fills your heart with joy.

I always love going to St Brides, the cultural and needs mix of the people who use the service is beautiful. Kenny is on holiday this week and that means I will be filling in for him. It will be a joy to work with Roddy, Joan and Alan tomorrow. We will likely have the assistance of Derek on Violin, Mike singing his solos and possibly Grace singing to us in Chinese.

On Thursday this week we were in Saughton Park in the glasshouse, and we had 45 people, which is 5 more than we had chairs for. Fortunately, there are bench seats round the outside and we could get people to use them. We had three younger people with Down’s join us this week. It is so good to be able to reach those people in the learning difficulties environment. Our new Dementia strategy in Scotland puts an emphasis on those with Down’s who develop dementia receiving support from within the Dementia community. Being able to reach out and share a community where people who are different are welcomed and can feel at home is so important. I am personally so glad that people who are different are welcomed at Forget Me Notes, because those of you who know me will vouch that I am different too. If you can and would like to express your difference in the safety of Forget Me Notes you are always welcome.

Have a great week.

Monday 14th October 2024

Well, this week has been full of highs and lows like being at Blackpool Pleasure beach and a rollercoaster. Let me start with the best bits and to be fair there are a lot of best bits.

On Tuesday Paul and I did a session at a new care home called Blenham House. When you start in a new place you can never be sure how people will respond, either residents or staff. What was clear is that people responded well and those who were verbal sang and shared stories, those who were non-verbal quite clearly responded with movement to the music which was lovely to see. What I am always amazed at is when we ask people for their Co-op number that there are always people who can tell me not only theirs but even other relatives, which is what happened at Blenham House.

We have several things that we will be doing over the next few weeks. One is our Sing-a-thon on the 9th of November. This will be our fourth year of the Sing-a-thon and means that we will sing for twelve hours and ask you all if you will sponsor us. Most of the day is on Zoom with a one-hour session live from the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh.

On Saturday we were part of a wonderful musical performance called Dementia the Musical. It is based on three people who are well known as Dementia activists in Scotland. It tells the story of their fight to get their voices heard within a system that feels it knows what is best. One of the things that we all need to realise is that there is no such thing as people with dementia, only individuals with a lived experience of dementia. Each person has a different representation of dementia, and each person has a voice that will tell you about the way they experience dementia. If we are to be able to offer an environment that offers the greatest support and maximise people’s ability, then we will need to listen to each voice and provide a support that is as different and unique as each person is who lives with dementia. There is no reason why the care we give to people can’t be more individualised, it just means using resources differently. At Forget Me Notes we are committed to help make this happen.

The 11th to the 14th November sees the second Dementia Arts Festival in Scotland. It is going to be a great event and one that we will be a part of. The Choir will sing at the reception as the arts festival opens. We will also be doing a presentation on the Wednesday as well as having a place in the exhibition throughout the week. The impact of the arts festival will hopefully be immense and one that will change people’s perception of the arts and the way in which we support those living with dementia. We are only one of many groups who will be participants at the festival so I know we will learn so much and I am looking forward to learning new things.

As I spoke about the week having lows, I need to share with you that on Friday one of our Forget Me Notes, Peter Cormack died. You may well have watched him play football for Hibs and Liverpool. Peter and Marion have been a part of Forget Me Notes for some time now, singing with us and sharing stories of their lives together. I know Peter’s favourite song and we have sung “Kissing in the Back Row” many times. One song that meant more to him than so many others is the Liverpool anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and no-one sung it with more heart than Peter. Just a few weeks ago I visited Peter in the care home that supported him. Visiting Peter was always great, he usually made it very clear how pleased he was to see me, however this day his response wasn’t quite what I hoped for. I thought I would have a go at changing the mood. In the sitting room with all the other residents and staff doing different things, I launched into singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. Peter’s eyes lit up and together we sang. Before long the domino players joined in, then some of the staff and soon we had a choir of voices. It may not have been Anfield Stadium, but I left the Care Home feeling that we had created a community event that warmed my heart. Since hearing of Peter’s death on Friday, I can’t get that song out of my heart and have sung it so many times since I heard the news. When Bill Shankly signed Peter for Liverpool he said, “Peter Cormack is the missing link that we have been looking for at Liverpool”. Not only did Bill Shankly find his missing link, at Forget Me Notes we found our missing links when both Marion and Peter became part of the Forget Me Notes family. As I have said before we have a saying at Forget me Notes “Once a Forget Me Note always a Forget Me Note”. That doesn’t change Peter, you have a place in our hearts forever. Marion, we send our love to you and each member of your family at what must be such an awful time. We are here for you and will continue to sing our songs and tell the story. We have been so honoured to be able to sing Peter’s stories and the stories of those people with a lived experience of dementia.

Love and thoughts for you all this week.