For my mum - in support of Living Words

hi folks, ilā here (fka anil)

I am raising funds for my mum, Ruth to work with Living Words. Mum is up for it and chose this photo for the campaign. She has been living with Alzheimer’s disease for the last few years and would like to work with Living Words to empower her to continue expressing herself and to share her words. She would like to have 1 - 2 - 1 sessions over the course of 6 months at home with Living Words writer Shazea Quraishi. Half of the funds will be used for Living Words to work with mum and the other half will go to the charity as a donation for core support, to enable them to work with others.

Living Words is an arts and literature organisation very close to my heart. I have completed a number of residencies with Living Words as a writer - experiencing how transformative its unique Listen Out Loud methodology is. This methodology is used to co-create individual books of words with project members on their lived experience. With their involvement and within an ethical framework, these are crafted into anthologies, films and performances to enable these voices to be heard in the world to challenge associated societal stigma and promote inclusion.

We want to see a world in which all our sounds and words are given space to be heard; for speakers to be validated and take power through their vocal expression, listeners to get in sync, and our artists affirmed in their art and progression of their skills.

Living Words’ participatory work is now delivered in 2 strands:

A) Living Experience:

This work began and continues with care home residencies working one-to-one in creative partnership with people experiencing a dementia. Living Words also run staff workshops to support carers and their creative expression and to embed use of the Living Words books.

They also run projects with people affected by dementias and living at home. In partnership with local authorities, town councils, libraries and arts organisations, and using their unique methodology, work with people living with a dementia, and their friends, partners or carers. In addition Living Words writers work with privately funded individuals, often over many years – this is the capacity in which I’d like them to work with Mum.

B) Living Warriors:

In 2019 Living Words began transferring our Listen Out Loud methodology to work with people who had experienced suicide ideation and mental health issues. This work has continued to receive repeat funding and has expanded into other specific mental health projects.

Small charities like Living Words have an agility in an age where innovation is key. I experienced this first hand during the pandemic as we adapted how we work as Living Words writers to support carehome staff and those experiencing long covid.

In these challenging times, Living Words is now focussing on sharing practice, running online accredited courses, and also looking to get a book deal to support more people to communicate with loved ones experiencing these life changes.

Please consider donating whatever you can to support Living Words to work with my mum and to help make a real difference in the lives of people living with dementia. You can find out more about Living Words and their essential work by visiting their website at www.livingwords.org.uk.

Thank you for your support.

Ilā kamalagharan