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I began volunteering with the Scottish Dementia Working Group (SDWG) after seeing an exhibition they were featured in in the city centre. The person overseeing the show gave me the contact details for one of the group members who put me in touch with a member of staff - it was really very easy.

HaydenThe volunteer work I do with the SDWG is really varied; ranging from helping out (‘in the background’) with running the monthly meetings, to interviewing members about their experiences of living with dementia, to setting up audio-visual equipment – I've even accompanied a member to a European Parliament meeting in Brussels!


I have been volunteering with the SDWG since the beginning of 2012. It has given me a real insight into the issues people with dementia face and this has helped me support friends who have relatives with dementia.

The group members are massively inspiring owing to the amazing things they’re each (and collectively) capable of achieving, and they are also lovely people

, which makes spending time with them very enjoyable. The Alzheimer Scotland staff are also great to work with - they’re very understanding of my non-voluntary commitments and also very supportive, which is a real help.