Ashridge Home Care volunteers celebrated in the Proud of Bucks Awards

The Proud of Bucks Awards celebrate Buckinghamshire’s communities that have demonstrated care, creativity and commitment towards their local areas. The awards recognise and applaud outstanding community contribution carried out by local volunteers.

Speen resident Trudi Scrivener, is a Dementia Ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society, regularly giving talks in the local community to educate the wider public about the impact of dementia.  She is also the founder of Ashridge Home Care, an award-winning home care company operating from Amersham and caring for people across Buckinghamshire villages and towns, helping people to stay living in their communities.    Trudi passionately believes in supporting people with dementia to stay in their own homes with the right support for as long as possible. With this ethos in mind, she set up the Speen Memory Café, recruiting a group of local volunteers who all had the same passion.   They opened a Memory Café in July 2023 inviting local residents who were living with dementia to come along and socialise with others in similar situations.  Trudi arranged for a dementia specialist to train the volunteers who run the sessions.  The specialist also attends the café once a month to help host relevant activities for those living with dementia and give advice to family members and carers.    The group has quickly grown in numbers and now families travel from surrounding villages to enjoy the sessions.

The group of ladies from Speen were celebrated as The Outstanding Group for their dedication and hard work in supporting people living with dementia and their families in Speen and the surrounding areas at Proud of Bucks Awards.  The café brings together a team of dedicated volunteers who give their time and hearts to create a warm, welcoming dementia friendly space every month.  It is an active and meaningful event that is much needed in the area and is a place where people living with dementia can gather for support, friendship and fun in their local community.

Sally Blackden, a dementia specialist who has worked with the team of volunteers for the past year said: “What a pleasure it was to train the volunteers, who had to challenge their own misconceptions about dementia, their commitment is very clear.”

Christine who has volunteered since the start said: “I don’t need any recognition for volunteering at the café.  I absolutely love every minute of it.”

Trudi commented: “We couldn’t be prouder of our amazing team.  It’s so great that their efforts have been recognised with a Proud of Bucks Award.  Every one of them is committed to delivering amazing support at the memory cafe every month.  They approached the training they were given from Ashridge staff with enthusiasm and dedication and this recognition is very well deserved, thank you to all for everything you do.”