Coleraine man William McCandless shines a light on the work Age Concern Causeway do with dementia sufferers

On a sunny Saturday morning in May, Coleraine man William McCandless embarked on a 14.4-mile charity walk around the Triangle to raise much-needed funds for a local charity that holds a special place in his heart - Age Concern Causeway.

The former Independent councillor set off from Coleraine Town Hall at 9am, walking to Portstewart and Portrush via the scenic coastal road,  finally returning to Coleraine Town Hall after 4 hours and 5 minutes.

William, a chairperson of Age Concern Causeway’s trustees said: “I wanted to do this walk because earlier the same week the charity had organised a dementia awareness walk to highlight its service to the local community and recognise Dementia Awareness week.

“We also had a ‘memory tree’ in our premises in 3 Brook Street, Coleraine where those who had suffered bereavement of a loved one due to dementia or just wanted to remember them living with this condition were invited to write their name on a wooden heart and hang it on the tree.”

Mr McCandless explained his reasons for getting involved with Age Concern were ‘personal’.

“My mother suffered from dementia in her 80's as did my wife Heather's father. I never thought lightning would strike twice but four years ago my older brother was diagnosed in his late 60's. Although there are other very worthy charities out there, it struck a chord with me because it is a local charity and all money raised is used locally to benefit the residents of Causeay Coast and Glens Borough.”

It is estimated that there are 20K dementia sufferers in Northern Ireland with that figure projected to double by 2040. The advised figure is probably more realistically three or four times that number as it is only those who are diagnosed.

Dementia is often referred to as a ‘life limiting condition’, however it depends on the type of dementia the sufferer is diagnosed with, their age and also general health.

“Caring for dementia sufferers is the main thrust of our work,” added William. “It probably amounts to 80% of what we do.

“Age Concern Causeway charity currently operates seven groups throughout our Borough - Ballymoney (2 groups), Ballycastle (1 group), Coleraine (2 groups), Limavady (1 group) and Portrush (1 group).

“We provide weekly dementia support groups for over 60 people in total along with a one to one service for people at home. We recognise we have a large rural area to service and our one to one service currently operates from Bushmills to Feeney in which we serve an additional 22 people.

“Our primary funder is ‘The Big Lottery’ and without their financial assistance we would be unable to carry out this vital service.”

Age Concern Causeway also provides Meet and Eat groups in Coleraine and Limavady with plans to open another in Ballymoney later this year.

“These groups are for those 55 + who wish to chat, eat, socialise and hopefully make new friends. We noticed that post covid many people were timorous of leaving their homes and many of their social groups had stopped and not recommenced. These Meet & Eat groups provide an opportunity to reintegrate with society.”

The work carried out by Age Concern Causeway is invaluable and like many other charities they rely on the help and kindness of volunteers.

“We always need volunteers," commented William. “Without our volunteers we couldn't function and we are indebted to them. If you have a few spare hours a week and you would like to assist in this valuable work as a volunteer with either dementia support groups, our charity shop or with the Meet and Eat groups please contact Mandy our manager for more information.

“Like most things in life you will probably only think of dementia when it affects your family but at the rate of increase this is a ‘ticking time bomb’ for the NHS.

“The work we do is for your grandparent, parent, sibling, uncle, aunt or a loved one. Please help us to continue this work either practically or financially.”

You can still contribute towards William’s walk by visiting Age Concern Causeway Facebook page site and donating through the Just Giving page or why not call into their offices at 3 Brook Street, Coleraine. Or if you want to know more about the Eat and Meet groups contact the manager Mandy also at Brook Street or telephone 028 7035 7966.

This article is part of the Our CQ Magazine Summer Edition. To read more, click here.