Brenda's story: "I don’t want others to feel they are alone like I did"
Volunteer Ambassador Brenda Foulds explains why she began volunteering for Dementia UK.
I wasn’t lucky enough to know about Dementia UK when I was struggling to support my mum. I found the experience very difficult, especially seeing my mum’s personality disappear over time. I had to learn about my mum’s dementia and how to handle it as I was experiencing it. I only wish I had known about the wonderful Admiral Nurses; speaking to them would have allowed me to understand what was happening and how to handle difficult situations.
After mum died I wrote a piece of creative writing and this helped me to make sense of what we had been through. I also knew I wanted to help others, even if it was only to encourage them to seek help and advice. I did some research online and found Dementia UK’s website. After meeting with some lovely staff there, they suggested I might give presentations to organisations that offer to fundraise for the charity. This helps motivate staff to get involved in raising money and also to raise awareness about dementia.
This sounded like a great opportunity to me and so far I have visited the Punjabi Society, banks, law firms, churches and social groups and even police headquarters. I tell them about my experience with my mum as well as what Dementia UK offers through their wonderful dementia specialist Admiral Nurses. I often get people coming to speak to me after my talks as they want to talk to share their experiences with someone who understands.
I am passionate about getting the word out there, as I don’t want others to feel they are alone like I unfortunately did.