Museum of Brands launches three-year wellbeing programme for people with dementia

The Museum of Brands has launched a three-year wellbeing programme Living Brands, which will provide multi-sensory resources, training and reminiscing activities for people living with dementia, their carers and families.

The museum has received £450,000 of funding to deliver the programme from benefactors including The Linbury Trust, City Bridges Trust, the Grant Weston Foundation and the National Lottery Community Fund.

Living Brands aims to support programmes for 63,355 beneficiaries and will provide dementia training in partnership with NAPA (National Activity Providers Association).

The museum is working on Community Development with the Dementia Friendly Venues Charter of London.

Living Brands will offer multi-sensory reminiscing sessions within the museum to improve wellbeing and fight isolation and offer online resources for people living with dementia, their carers and families.

Improve engagement

“Living Brands is designed to improve engagement and inclusivity for communities often left out of the conversation,” Abby Pendlebury, Community Development Project Manager for Living Brands, Museum of Brands, said “This programme further establishes the museum as a local and national resource centre and a dementia friendly arts and culture site.

“Our multi-sensory approach to reminiscing and conversation has proven beneficial in fighting isolation, bridging the gap between carers and participants, and our training sessions allow you to learn how wellbeing practices can be implemented in a meaningful, sustainable way.”

Sensory remembrance

Walking through the museum’s time-tunnel, visitors experience a world of times past before connecting with their childhood memories through object and sensory remembrance.

These nostalgic resources inspired the museum’s Memory Trail and online activity guides, which include Memory Boxes, which have been tested and proven to improve engagement with participants and carers and enhance emotional wellbeing.

The Memory Boxes contain replicas, including music, confectionery, toys, and soaps from brands including Lifebuoy, Fairy Liquid, Typhoo Tea, and more.

This programme also caters towards concession visitors offering adult learning activities including Memory Trails and seasonal themed reminiscing activities.

Accessible to all

The museum’s tropical garden venue will provide an enclave for topical film screenings and outdoor musical events. The programme also aims to make the museum accessible and engaging for all people regardless of age and ability.

By partnering with NAPA the museum will be able to provide resources to a wide network across the UK and strengthen the connection between wellbeing practices at cultural heritage organisations.

The Museum of Brands contains over 15,000 original objects spanning 150 years of UK consumer culture. Together they offer us a fascinating insight into how our lives and society have evolved since Victorian times – from the changing role of women to the impact of war and technology as well as the revolution in shopping habits over three centuries.