World Alzheimer’s Month is a global opportunity to raise awareness around, educate, encourage support of and demystify dementia. World Alzheimer’s Day takes place on 21 September as part of World Alzheimer’s Month.

The theme for World Alzheimer’s Month in September 2022 is ‘Know dementia, know Alzheimer’s’.

In 2019, we were fortunate to have a presentation from Alex Shaw, Dementia champion at a Technical Apprenticeship Programme network event. The session highlighted dementia as one of the biggest challenges we face globally, with fifty million people living with the condition worldwide. Alex was enthusiastic, engaging, informative and touched the hearts of our apprentices. Many signed up at varying levels to promote dementia awareness across their communities and families.

Two engineering apprentices were significantly moved by the dementia session and asked if they could do more. This was the catalyst which began a series of design meetings to explore what could be achieved to raise dementia awareness across campus. Nafeesah Hussain and Alisha Quinn started the enormous task of designing, developing, manufacturing and ultimately installing a Forget-Me-Not sculpture to raise awareness of becoming a dementia friend and supporting the spread of knowledge. The Forget-Me-Not flower has been used for centuries as a symbol of love, faith, hope and remembrance and was adopted to serve as a constant reminder for all of us to ‘forget not’ the person behind the dementia.

Engineering Apprentices Nafeesah Hussain and Alisha Quinn

Coronavirus halted installation, but Nafeesah and Alisha continued to push forward through the challenges to complete this project and find a suitable location for its display. The sculpture brought university technicians and apprentices together, working across specialisms to help with the generation, movement, and installation of this epic piece of art. Throughout the extended construction period staff, friends and external contacts became more aware of dementia and the effects it can have on the individual and their family.

Final location was decided in 2022 and delivery to its new home, found just 10 minutes from our campus in the Dementia Research Gardens (Daisy Bank Road, M14 5QN) took place a in late August. The sculpture, visible to carers, staff, researchers, and patients was celebrated at an event to mark the start of dementia awareness month.

The Skills and Development Team would like to thank all those staff involved, for keeping momentum and continuing to value the importance of this project through its extended build and place period.

Forget-Me-Not sculpture designed, developed, manufactured and installed by University of Manchester Apprentices’ to raise awareness of becoming a dementia friend

For more information about dementia friends across the University of Manchester please visit: Dementia Friends (The University of Manchester)
or alternatively email: dementiafriends@manchester.ac.uk.

Written by Colin D. Baines (Head of Technical Skills and Development, and Technical Apprenticeship Lead)
5th September 2022

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