Liverpool: Dementia-Friendly Carol Service

Following on from last year's successful first[ever Dementia Friendly Carol Service, Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP will again lead a Christmas Carol Service especially for those living with dementia and all who wish to join them. The Service will take place in Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King on Wednesday 20 December at 2pm.

The Archdiocese of Liverpool, having become aware of the needs of people living with dementia through parish visiting, began to run Dementia Awareness sessions in collaboration with the Alzheimer's Society in many different parishes and other venues.

As part of this journey the 'Songs we Remember' Dementia Friendly choir initiative came into being and now the choir of 45 people rehearses fortnightly at the St Thomas of Canterbury church hall in Waterloo, where the archdiocesan Irenaeus Spirituality Project is based.

To establish the Choir every parish within the archdiocese received an invitation and, following on from this, were encouraged to invite all the Nursing Homes in their area. Students from All Saints Primary School, Bootle and St Margaret Mary's Junior School, Huyton will be taking part in the service alongside the Choir.

Maureen Knight, who chairs the archdiocesan Dementia Working Group, said: "As last year the response has been amazing; the Care Homes are so pleased that we are providing this service. Rehearsals are going well and we're looking forward to seeing the Cathedral filled with people."

The Carol Service is open to all, especially those living with dementia, supporting someone living with Dementia or anyone of any age who just enjoys singing carols. No tickets are required.

The service is not just a 'one-off' event for the choir, and other events are being arranged in nursing homes and other venues in the coming months as part of the ongoing work of supporting people living with dementia in the archdiocese.