Sheffield brothers urge public to vote for The Valerie Foundation
A Sheffield foundation has been selected for this year’s 2019 People’s Project – and is in with the chance of winning £50,000 of funding.
The Valerie Foundation was set up by Sheffield brothers Andrew and Lee Pearse, in memory of their mum Valerie, who died in 2015 after years living with frontotemporal dementia. The boys were her primary carers for the last 13 years of her life, and launched the foundation to provide help, support and a hub for people living locally whose lives have been affected by dementia.
And now, The Valerie Foundation is one of a number of UK community organisations shortlisted for the People's Project – a partnership between ITV and The National Lottery to fund local groups to deliver a community project over the course of a year.
Andrew and Lee are hoping to win the money to help them deliver their Still Being Out and About project: 50 sessions across six Sheffield care homes, to help engage people with dementia, and their carers, with the Peak District, historical and heritage sites, gardens, castles and galleries.
If successful, the foundation will develop a brochure that care homes and the local community can use like a travel brochure, to pick, choose and plan from an array of activity-based days out.
The public can vote for The Valerie Foundation until April 15, by visiting www.thepeoplesprojects.org.uk