A BARNSLEY charity which supports dementia patients received a massive boost this week with confirmation of nearly £198,000 of funding - but one of its other services remains in danger.
Barnsley Independent Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support charity - BIADS - has received a £197,961 continuation grant from the National Lottery Community Fund to continue offering activities for a further three years.
The charity is an organisation formed by local people to provide support to anyone who has a form of dementia - along with their families - by providing information, offering emotional support, social opportunities, meaningful activities and events.
With BIADS being an independent group it means that all of the money raised and donated will be guaranteed to stay in Barnsley to help local people.
The grant money will be used to continue and develop new and existing activities that they provide to people living with dementia.
These include holidays, day trips, a singing group, circle dances, social events, activity groups, gym sessions and light exercises.
Service manager at BIADS, Claire Golby, said: “We are thrilled to receive this funding over the next three years as we know how much our members appreciate the activities we provide, and it would have been devastating if we had not been able to carry them on.”
Despite receiving funding to continue offering activities, the carers support service is still at risk and the charity is in search of funding.
At the moment the service is being funded out of the BIADS’ general reserves money but more funding is needed for the service to carry on.
The carer support service offers advice and information for people who are taking care of someone living with dementia.
Chief officer at BIADS, Linda Pattison, said: “While it is great news about the National Lottery funding for services we are now working hard on securing funding for our carer support service.
“We support around 200 families in Barnsley affected by dementia and we need to make sure that we carry on this vital service for our members, now and in the future.
“People with dementia usually have a family member who is their main carer and we give people support and advice, somebody to talk to and listen to their problems.
“A person living with dementia is looked after by the NHS but the carer doesn’t have that kind of support so we provide that and advice for them.
“There are nearly 3,000 people in Barnsley who are living with dementia and if we had more support we could support more people.
“We will do whatever we can to keep the service going and would hate it to come to an end, but that would be the last resort, and we would only be closed until we find funding.”
