As the UK partner of the EU funded MONUMENT (MOre NUrturing and More Empowerment Nested in Technology) pilot project, the Reed Barn at Peckover has been transformed into a safe place where people living with dementia, their families and carers, can share experiences, gain new skills and take a break from caring responsibilities.
Since its transformation in 2022, the Reed Barn at Peckover House has been open as a safe place for people living with dementia their families and their carers. The group provides an opportunity to socialise, share experiences and gain new skills, or take a break from caring responsibilities.
We meet on a Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon with Peckover House and garden being a central part of the experience. Combining nature and heritage-based craft activities, each session also offers a chance to listen to music, sing, reminisce, chat, enjoy a cup of tea or have a stroll around the beautiful gardens.
Helping to encourage friendships, offering support for informal carers, and empowering people living with dementia to remain at home for as long as possible are all based on the principles of the Dutch Odenshuis model.
If you support a family member or friend who lives with mild to moderate dementia who loves nature and you would like to find out more about joining Damsons, please call us on 01945 583463 or email peckover@nationaltrust.org.uk
Peckover's staff and volunteers work closely with local groups and charities to welcome informal carers and their loved ones from Wisbech and its surrounding villages.
By offering a variety of activities and social interventions, along with the opportunity to gain advice, information and friendship, we're hoping that carers will become equipped with the tools and resilience to care for their loved ones at home for longer.
General Manager for the National Trust’s Peckover House, |Donna Baldwin, said:
“Formerly ‘Bank House’, Peckover is named eponymously for the family which lived here during its heyday. The Peckovers were philanthropists and dedicated community-led campaigners who contributed so much to the community in Wisbech.
“The National Trust is all about people and the benefits of access to nature, beauty and heritage and we want everyone to be able to experience our places and get involved in our cause.
“This project is entirely in keeping with the Peckover spirit and is one of a number of partnership projects which we’re working on across the house, gardens and estate over the next few years.’
At focus groups held in December 2021 and January 2022, supported by partners Ageable, local people living with dementia and their families and carers, shared ideas and discussed how MONUMENT could best support them, providing valuable learning that has influenced the development of the project.
Ageable Founder, Alice Osborne, said:
“We are really excited to support the National Trust on this innovative project, to help them engage with people living with dementia and their carers, and to work together on creating a new dementia-friendly community space in Wisbech.”
The aim of the project is to provide information, advice and a meeting place, as well as somewhere informal carers can spend time relaxing and socialising with those in similar situations.
At Peckover, the house and garden are a central part of the experience, inspiring weekly nature and heritage-based craft activities.
The project also hopes to enable people living with dementia to remain at home for as long as possible, supporting informal carers by providing respite care, enabling engagement in leisure and social activities.
The approach is based on the principles of the Dutch Odenshuis model, which offers a place and a voice for people living with dementia, their families and carers.
Project Manager for MONUMENT, Tom Bailey, said:
“For people with dementia and their carers, historic spaces, collections and stories can prompt and stimulate discussion, encourage outdoor exploration, and offer a vital connection to the world around them.
“Throughout the project we will test new approaches and technologies, as we explore what more we can do to improve the experience of visiting, for people living with dementia and their informal carers. We hope this will increase access to nature and heritage for more people and ensure everyone feels welcome at Peckover.
“We look forward to sharing our learning and analysis with project partners in France, England, Belgium and the Netherlands.”
This project is funded under the Social Innovation Theme of the Interreg 2 Seas Programme. Interreg is an opportunity for organisations from different EU Member States (and currently the UK) to work together in addressing problems or to take advantage of opportunities that are common across national and/or physical boundaries. For the National Trust, the EU Regional Development Fund is providing £197,758 towards the total cost of the project via the Interreg 2 Seas Programme.
To find out more visit www.interreg2seas.eu/en/MONUMENT.
August 2023
Are you passionate about your local community? Would you like to make a difference to people who are living with dementia and their loved ones? We’re looking for volunteers to support Damsons, our twice weekly community support group at Peckover, for people living with mild to moderate dementia and their loved ones. Damsons meet every Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. To find out more please call Peckover House on 01945 583463.
Everyone needs nature, now more than ever. Donate today and you could help people and nature to thrive at the places we care for.
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) provides funding to public and private bodies in all EU regions to reduce economic, social and territorial disparities. The Fund supports investments through dedicated national or regional programmes.
Take a tour of the Reed Barn at Peckover, where weekly Damsons sessions take place and familiarise yourself and loved ones before visiting.
Tucked away behind a Georgian mansion sits a beautiful Victorian garden. Reflecting the family's love of travelling, horticulture and gardening, this hidden gem is full of surprises.
From the library and banking hall to the cabinet of curiosities, the rooms in this classic Georgian home have many stories to tell. Discover how the Peckovers lived their lives here.
With their banking wealth and philanthropy the Peckovers left a lasting mark on the Cambs town of Wisbech. Find out how their Quakerism and artistic leanings coloured their story.
We believe that nature, beauty and history are for everyone. That’s why we’re supporting wildlife, protecting historic sites and more. Find out about our work.
Find out more about the funding the National Trust receives from grants, and the projects it has helped support.