Pupils at Kingsbury Green Academy have been learning about dementia as part of a new community initiative to make Calne a more dementia-friendly town.
The project - led by Beyond Dementia (formerly Alzheimer’s Support) and local residents through the Dementia Friendly Calne group - aims to help young people feel more confident engaging with people affected by dementia, such as grandparents or neighbours. It has been supported by Calne Area Board’s Older People and Carer Champion, Diane Gooch, and funded by Calne Town Council and Calne Area Board.
As part of the launch, the Explorer Dome’s “Brain Dome” visited the school on 23rd and 24th September. The giant inflatable brain provided an immersive, hands-on experience to help students understand how the brain functions and how it is affected by conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
Sarah Marriott, CEO at Beyond Dementia, said: “We are delighted to be working with Kingsbury Green Academy on this innovative project and to have received such strong community support. So many families are affected by dementia, and it’s important for younger generations to understand more about it. Longer term, this project will help reduce stigma, create acceptance and understanding, and foster a more dementia-friendly community.”
Cllr Gordon King, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, described the initiative as “inspiring”, adding: “By learning more about how dementia affects individuals and families, these pupils are helping to create a more compassionate and inclusive community.”
The school’s Head of PSHE, Patty Kelly, collaborated with Beyond Dementia to develop bespoke training materials. These will enable staff to continue running Understanding Dementia sessions across the school.
“The Explorer Dome was a fantastic experience for Year 9 students,” she said. “They were engaged and enthusiastic — you could hear them talking about it all around the school. It was especially powerful when they watched in silence how the brain is affected by Alzheimer’s.”
Students themselves described the experience as “very interactive” and “fun to learn in”, with one pupil saying,
“It represented the brain so well and really helped me grasp the basics. The dementia awareness was so thought-out and inclusive!”
Diane Gooch, Calne’s Older People and Carer Champion, said: “It has been inspiring to see the eagerness of pupils and staff at Kingsbury Green Academy to join us on our journey. This can only be good for those living with dementia and their families.”
The project will continue through the autumn with an intergenerational concert involving pupils and local residents living with dementia, as well as new Understanding Dementia sessions designed for Calne’s primary school children.
*Image from Beyond Dementia - Sarah Mariott centre and Diane Gooch left.
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