Dementia Friendly Barnes

Over the last few months many Barnes residents have watched paths being re-laid and re-surfacing works take place around the pond and have wondered what it is all about. The answer is that Barnes has now become the first dementia friendly park in the borough. The Barnes project is part of a wider initiative, 'Friendly Parks for All', which encourages everyone, including people with dementia, to enjoy local parks and the benefits to their health and wellbeing that might result from the great outdoors. The Council consulted residents locally about the proposals to make Barnes Green a dementia friendly park and residents responded positively. As a result we now have resurfaced paths, additional benches and improved access to the pond. We also have features such as distinctive exits and entries marked by images of pond-life carved into wood and a meeting point totem pole.

The BCA has recently recruited Barnes resident Sanchi Murison to the role of Project Co-ordinator for a new pilot project to promote dementia friendly businesses in Barnes. The project will run until October this year. Sanchi’s role will be to help local businesses, shops and organisations to become more dementia friendly. Barnes is a great place to trial a project of this kind as we have an increasing elderly population and such a strong and active community