Dementia-friendly music festival returns to island

Local bands will perform at the festival but the music volume will not get "too loud"

A dementia-friendly music festival is returning to Guernsey next month.

The free festival features relaxed performances from local bands and is organised by charity Dementia Friendly Guernsey and the National Trust of Guernsey.

It will take place in the courtyard of the folk museum at Saumarez Park on Saturday 7 September, between 12:00 and 17:00 BST.

Guy Mitchell, from Dementia Friendly Guernsey, said: "We all love music, it's something we do from very early in our life, so it's very good that people living with dementia can express themselves with music."

Mr Mitchell said music was a "great communication tool" and "part of the brain that is really not affected by dementia".

The festival was launched last year as the organisation wanted "to have a festival that is for people with dementia" that is accessible for them, he said.

Mr Mitchell said the festival is wheelchair accessible and was "not hugely loud, it's laid out differently and is in a contained area - people can come and go as they please".

Anyone attending the festival can also "enjoy the museum as well as well as having great performances", he said.

The relaxed music festival will be held on a wheelchair-accessible courtyard at the folk museum and people can come and go as they please

Local resident Maggie attended last year's festival with her husband, who used to enjoy music festivals including Glastonbury, Leeds and Reading before he developed dementia.

She said: "The festival is not too big, so it's not too scary for people who aren't good in crowds any more.

"All the sessions, the groups have been fantastic.

"Music's funny, it triggers things as well as emotions. Unfortunately Anthony can't sing or speak any more, but he's tapping his feet."