Shropshire Reminiscence

Shropshire Reminiscence is supported by Shropshire County Library Service, grant funded and is a registered charity (no 1076833). The group provides training for care workers and activity organisers, resource collections and publications to support reminiscence as a leisure activity to improve the quality of older people's life's. The group has a management committee of volunteers and practitioners experienced in reminiscence.

Promoting reminiscence for recreational purposes
Reminiscence is:

• remembering and talking about our past – something all people do, naturally; and
• a way of helping carers communicate with older, sometimes confused people.

Reminiscence matters because it:

• gives meaning and value to older people’s past and present lives; and
• enables people to recall happy positive memories; and
• helps to overcome communication difficulties.

Membership
Older people, carers, care workers and anyone working with older people can join Shropshire Reminiscence. Membership is free. You will receive a newsletter 3 times a year which includes details of the training programme, useful information about reminiscence activities and reminiscences from some of the members.

You can also borrow resource collections - a mixture of artefacts, books, posters, pictures and tape - to support your reminiscence activities. A minimum of three weeks notice is required to borrow a resource box. A charge of £5.00 per box for a loan of 5 weeks is made to all members.

Themes for reminiscence boxes include Romance, People's War, Domestic Life, Laundry, Schooldays, Childhood and Leisure and Entertainment, clothes and highdays and holidays. A smell box is also available for loan.

A recent addition to the resource boxes is a Shopping basket.

Supporting reminiscence through music
Small boxes of musical instruments are available for loan by members. You will find 5 - 6 small hand held instruments together with some notes on how they can be used. Each box costs £5.00 to borrow for 4 weeks.

Publications
Good practice guidelines -Based on experience of members and gained from workshops. You will find these to be practical easy reminders about using reminiscence as a leisure activity. Titles available now are:

How to:

• organise a reminiscence session
• record reminiscence
• reminisce with disabled people
• trigger memories
• use artefacts
• use creative writing
• use everyday and natural objects
• reminisce with people with dementia
• use sense of smell
• use telling stories in reminiscence
• use themes (1)
• use themes (2)
• use the spoken word

The guides are 50p each and are available at workshops or by post from Shropshire Reminiscence, Ainsdale House, Maesbrook, Oswestry, Shropshire SY10 8QP

Reminiscence Skills - An Open Learning Pack for Care Workers and Activity Organisers.
The pack provides a guided path through reminiscence as a leisure activity with examples of good practice and a Learning Diary to encourage students to record their experiences as they progress and to practise their new skills. The cost of the pack is £25.00.

Details of workshops and other of the group are included in the newsletter.

To make sure you receive a copy of the newsletter or more information concerning the workshop, please contact Shropshire Reminiscence, Ainsdale House, Maesbrook, Oswestry, Shropshire SY10 8QP or e-mail shropshirerem@yahoo.co.uk.