Aroundtown Magazine Winter 2022 edition

FAMILY
Thurcroft volunteer wins
national care award
An inspirational 77-year-old volunteer from
Thurcroft has won a national award in recognition
of her tireless voluntary work and fundraising for
people living with dementia.
Sandra Blockley, who volunteers
for adult health and social care
charity, Making Space, was
presented with the Unpaid Carers
Award at the Great British Care
Awards 2021 in November.
The awards celebrate excellence
across the care sector, with the
judges agreeing that Sandra “has
done more to raise dementia
awareness in Rotherham than any
other person or organisation.”
Making Space runs four dementia
cafes in Rotherham and Sandra
began volunteering there after the
death of her husband Charlie who
developed dementia. She was so
grateful for the support she and
Charlie received at the dementia
cafes they attended together, she
decided to raise money for Making
Space. She also became a volunteer
to offer her own support to people
living with dementia and their carers.
She said: “After Charlie passed
away there was never a question that
I would give up. I just said, ‘That’s
it, I’m staying as a volunteer.’ When
Charlie was diagnosed, I didn’t have
a clue about dementia and I learned
so much from the people at the
cafes. They became my lifelines.”
In 2020, she opened her own
space to sell the donations she
received, called Forget Me Not on
Green Arbor Road in Thurcroft.
Sandra spends every day in the shop
and is supported by friends Elaine
and Margaret and her daughter-inlaw
Keeley.
Since opening the shop, Sandra
has raised £25,000 which goes
directly to fund entertainment
activities at the Making Space
dementia cafes. Her goal is to reach
£50,000 to raise enough money for
people with dementia to have fun.
“There’s a lot of money
raised for research, which is
incredibly important, but you can’t
underestimate the impact of fun for
people living with dementia. When
you live with someone who has
dementia and their memory fades,
it’s such a joy to see their face light
up when they see someone perform.
“I won’t be here forever, and I want
my legacy to be to leave enough
money for Making Space to provide
music, entertainment, activities and
Christmas parties for people with
dementia in Rotherham for at least
ten years.”
The Unpaid Carers Award was
Sandra’s fifth in three years, all given
in recognition of her voluntary work.
Sandra began raising money over
three decades ago, when she lost
her daughter Lorraine to cervical
cancer at the age of just 19. She
was awarded an MBE in 2006 in
recognition of her voluntary work
and fundraising.
There are four Making Space
dementia cafes in Rotherham:
Wesley Centre, Maltby; Gordon
Bennett Memorial Centre, Thurcroft;
St James Rooms, Wath-upon-
Dearne and Dalton Parish Hall,
Dalton.
For more information contact
the Making Space team in
Rotherham on 01709 910889.
46 aroundtownmagazine.co.uk