Chesterfield charity with decades of experience supporting dementia patients and their carers scoops prestigious award

Chesterfield Care Group was crowned ‘Organisation of the Year 2022’ at the Voluntary Sector Awards – hosted by the Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire Volunteer Centre.

Service manager Jane Parsons, who was also shortlisted for ‘Manager of the Year’, said: “We've had a really rocky time after Covid. We had over 160 service users who came to us on a weekly basis and through the pandemic we went down to 27 people.

“The staff, oh my goodness me – every day they are the people who put out the extra mile. They adapt and they work with people who really matter to us, which are our service users.

“I just want to say thank you to our service users who give us the privilege and pleasure of working with them every day, because it's them and their families that this award is for – and a staff team that really cares.”

The charity was forced to close due to Covid restrictions, but its team of staff and volunteers kept in touch with service users over the telephone – speaking to people with dementia who were struggling with the loss of contact and routine during lockdown.

Despite the difficulties posed by the pandemic, the group fought back – and were soon able to reopen five days a week from their Tontine Road base in Chesterfield town centre.

They have also managed to restart two important community groups in Brimington, as well as their walking and activities group for physically active people living with dementia. Due to the popularity of this project, Chesterfield Care Group have now started running a secondary walking and activities group – as well as a much-needed careers support group.

The charity leads a dementia specialist group on a Tuesday and have branched out into Dronfield, launching two successful projects there.

On hearing of their nomination, service user Jenny Rimington said “I've been coming to Chesterfield Care Group for seven years. I like the company and I get very lonely at home. They have been so good for me.”

Mrs Hutton, whose husband was a service user at the charity, said: “The Tontine Road Chesterfield Care Group must have given hours of respite to carers. It was so friendly when my husband went – he enjoyed the company, lunch and activities. He would have lots to say when he came back home, and it deserves funding.”

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The group has been providing social groups for isolated older adults and groups for people who have a diagnosis of dementia for the last 40 years, becoming their own charity in 1996.

They provide person-centred, age-appropriate group activities – including reminiscence, chair-based exercises, crafts and music-based activities. They also offer a two course hot meal. These services are available Monday to Friday, and they offer transport to and from their venues in most cases.

For anyone interested in the service they can contact them on 01246 274812, email [email protected] or contact them on social media.