THE moving story of a Shropshire family’s experience of coping with dementia will be highlighted at an event in Ellesmere, with aim of helping others facing similar issues.

A short film documenting what happened when Sarah Thorpe’s father developed the condition will be shown at the town’s parish church on Saturday morning, February 25, and organisers are encouraging members of the wider community to go along.

The event is part of an initiative by the diocese of Lichfield to create a network of ‘dementia friendly’ churches across north Shropshire that can offer support to families.

The project’s co-ordinator, Sarah Thorpe, from near Telford, has personal experience of dementia in her own family.

She explained: “My Dad died in 2018 and he was diagnosed with dementia ten years earlier.”

“He’d been a solicitor in Birmingham and spent his working life making incisive, head-level connections.

“The journey of the last decade of his life was a journey from head to heart.

“As a family we are sharing a video reflecting on our own experiences and the things that helped us, our family and friends and the expanding team of carers, as my father’s dementia advanced.

“It’s called 'Head to Heart: Shared family reflections on living through dementia'.

Sarah added: “It’s part of our commitment to stay in step with, support and learn both from people with a diagnosis of dementia and also from 'carer' partners and families and friends, as patterns change through advancing dementia.”

Jeremy Stretton, who helps to run the Dementia Friendly Church project at St Mary’s in Ellesmere, said: “The story told by Sarah’s family is touching and meaningful and has a very positive and powerful message, showing how Sarah’s family coped with her father’s dementia, their grieving in advance, and how they found understanding together.

“We want to share this with the whole community in Ellesmere, not just church members, so that it might offer help to others.

“This event is a brief opportunity to share personal experiences informally, for those who would like to, but everyone is welcome.”

The presentation takes place in the parish church between 11am-12pm on Saturday, February 25, and the church will be open from 10.30am, with free entry.

For more information, contact Jeremy on 01691 624772.