Supported by Shropshire Libraries, Shropshire Reminiscence is grant funded and is a registered charity (no 1076833).

The group provides training for care workers and activity organisers to support reminiscence as a leisure activity to improve the quality of life for older people in Shropshire. The group has a management committee of volunteers and practitioners experienced in reminiscence.

Reminiscence is:

• remembering and talking about our past (something all people do, naturally)
• 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.
• enables people to recall happy positive memories.
• 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 periodically which includes details of the training programme, useful information about reminiscence activities and reminiscences from some of the members. Details of the groups workshops are also included in the newsletter.

Resource collections

Members can borrow these to support reminiscence activities. They contain a mixture of artefacts, books, posters, pictures and discs. A minimum of three weeks notice is required to borrow a resource box.

Themes for reminiscence boxes include:

• Romance
• People's War
• Laundry and domestic maintenance
• Childhood satchel
• Children at home
• Clothes
• Highdays and Holidays

Each box costs £5 to borrow for up to five weeks.

Other items loaned by the group are small boxes of musical instruments; you will find five or six small hand held instruments together with some notes on how they could be used. There is a digital recorder for oral history as well as a camera which can be hired for a small fee.

Publication

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.

Contact Details

Shropshire Reminiscence
Ainsdale House
Maesbrook
Oswestry
SY10 8QP

Email: shropshirerem@yahoo.co.uk.

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