The help that Butterflies provides to people fighting memory loss, and dealing with the daily challenges it brings, is invaluable.
As well as June, the group has a volunteer coordinator, an activities coordinator and eight regular volunteers who help run numerous events and activities. From coffee mornings to photography classes, walking groups to singing performances, there’s plenty on offer.
The work that Butterflies does is nothing short of extraordinary. It offers a relief, a safe haven and an opportunity for sufferers and their families to share their experiences, their worries and their delights. It enables those with dementia to emerge from the condition and spread their wings in a safe, supported environment. It’s a group that is not afraid of making new memories with those with dementia and their families, when so often this is a frightening step to take.
As the work of Butterflies is so vital, the group hopes to grow in its ability to offer more activities. Its members already make regular trips to Hull arts festivals such as Heads Up theatre festival and in 2014 they created an eBook Butterflies And Battlefields for Humber Mouth literature festival, working with a writer and a photographer. 2016 sees the group collaborating on a citizen journalism project to share the stories and arts-related activities of those affected by dementia.
Butterflies members are already planning their activities around the Hull 2017 seasons and are excited to be getting involved.