Thousands of forget-me-nots made for dementia week

2 days ago

Curtis Lancaster

BBC News

"It really is something that is making a lot of people stop and pay attention," the director of the Museum of East Dorset said

Museum of East Dorset A wide shot of the museum with the blue flowers shown in each of the windows of the building — "It really is something that is making a lot of people stop and pay attention," the director of the Museum of East Dorset said

More than 9,000 knitted forget-me-nots have been created to raise awareness of dementia action week.

People from across the UK have taken part in the project, knitting and crocheting handmade woollen flowers, which now adorn the Museum of East Dorset in Wimborne.

Franesca Hollow, director of the museum, said: "It really is something that is making a lot of people stop and pay attention."

The flowers have been posted from as far away as Glasgow and Lancashire, many with notes about how they were knitted in memory of a lost loved one who grew up in Wimborne.

The flowers have been brought together to make large forget-me-nots in the museum window

Museum of East Dorset A close image of the blue knitted flowers in the window of the museum with the reflection of the Wimborne Minster in the window — The flowers have been brought together to make large forget-me-nots in the museum window

Ms Hollow said: "There's so much personal connection people have with dementia, it's really impactful.

"We are so proud of the many dementia-friendly initiatives we run here at the museum and in the community."

Sally Palmer works in the tea room in the museum and has volunteered there in some capacity for 13 years.

She said she approached people while they were having their coffee to ask if they knitted or crocheted.

"If they said yes I shoved a pattern in front of them and said 'would you like to knit some for me":[]}