Care and Share appeals for dementia dolls

Blackpool charity Care and Share is appealing for donations of good quality Baby Annabell-type dolls for a new project.

Volunteer Carole Cox is knitting new outfits for the dolls, which will then be donated to people living with dementia.

The use of dolls is said to have therapeutic benefits, providing enjoyment and relaxation by reminding them of past times, and can help sufferers to engage better with those around them.

Carole said: “It’s thought that holding the doll could remind them of when they had young children, or even when they used to play with dolls themselves as a child. It can create a feeling of

reminiscence and affection, it can be very soothing and help to reduce anxiety.

“Some people actually start to take care of the doll which gives them a sense of purpose and can even get them more active and engaged.”

Care and Share will be donating the refreshed dolls to dementia patients on hospital wards and in care homes, where they will be handed out by carers and health workers who will ensure

their use is appropriate.

The team already provides Twiddle Muffs, small blankets or knitted pads with buttons, loops, ribbons and different textures sewn in, for patients to fiddle with in their lap, and which are also

shown to help reduce anxiety.

Linda McEvilly, Care and Share’s founder, said: “As ever we rely on the kindness of the Fylde coast community in supporting people in whatever way we can. Carole’s project is a new

venture for us and people wouldn’t necessarily think to donate dolls to us, so we’re doing an appeal over the next few weeks.

“We’re also supporting more people than ever in our usual way, providing starter kits for those put into emergency accommodation, helping families in need, people fleeing domestic

violence, the homeless and anyone else who needs us.

“We’re always in need of household items like kettles, toasters, bedding, towels etc, and are forever grateful to the kind people who donate, every donation is very welcome indeed.”

To donate a doll to the Care and Share Dementia Doll project contact Linda via the Care and Share Blackpool Facebook page, or drop off at Care and Share’s base at 5 Tarnside,

Mereside, FY4 4RD.