CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council has hosted a series of sing-along and reminiscence sessions across its libraries in Llanelli, Carmarthen, and Ammanford. These events were aimed at raising awareness of the ‘Reading Well for Dementia’ collection, a resource available to people living with dementia, their carers, and families.
The sessions, held in March, were part of an initiative funded by the Books Council of Wales and brought together care home residents and schoolchildren in an inter-generational setting. Participants from Ysgol Trimsaran, Ysgol y Castell, and Ysgol Gymraeg Rhydaman joined local care home residents, including those from Ashley Court, for sing-alongs led by Cheryl Davies of Goldies Cymru.
In addition to the sing-alongs, the libraries also held reminiscence activities which included interactive games, jigsaws, and fragrance sets, all designed to stimulate conversation. Items from the library service’s local collection of historical photographs were also displayed, alongside a Memory Box provided by CofGâr – the Council museums and arts service, which contained nostalgic objects like old telephones, cameras, and toys.
Several schoolchildren shared personal stories of family members living with dementia, fostering deeper connections across generations. As part of the initiative, they were given ‘Reading Well for Dementia’ leaflets, with a special encouragement to engage in conversations with older relatives and friends about their memories and favourite music and even help create personalised music playlists.
Carmarthenshire Libraries plan to continue their outreach to care homes in the future, with upcoming visits to share resources and demonstrate digital services available to support those with dementia.
Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, Cllr Hazel Evans said: “These sessions are an excellent way to raise awareness of the resources available for those affected by dementia.
“It’s important to continue supporting our communities, and these events provided a great opportunity to bring people together to share experiences and memories.”
The ‘Reading Well for Dementia’ collection provides both English and Welsh books that aim to support those living with dementia, as well as their families and carers. The initiative was created by The Reading Agency and is supported in Wales by the Welsh Government.
For more information on the ‘Reading Well for Dementia’ collection or upcoming events, please contact your local library.
