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Dementia Picture Stories
When her mother was in the final stages of Parkinson’s disease in the late 90’s, Helen Bate made a scrap-book for her to look at "Dementia had set in by then", she remembers. "She couldn’t make conversation or watch television but looking at those pictures gave her real pleasure."
It planted an idea in her head that, over a decade later, is becoming a reality. In October, three books – ‘Childhood in Pictures’, ‘The Countryside in Pictures’ and ‘Women’s Work in Pictures’ – will be published.
They will be the first of their kind; accessible arts based picture books for people living with age-related disabilities including dementia.
Seven years ago, Bate, now 51 (and a grandmother of two), gave up her job as an architect and enrolled on a part-time Illustration course at the University of Wales in Wrexham. Six years later, she graduated with a First Class Degree.
It was during her time at College that she spotted the gap in the market. “I realised that children’s publishing was totally over-subscribed and yet, at the other end of the age scale, there was nothing.”
“Old age is invariably very isolating’ continues Bate. "People living through it can feel very cut off from the world." Having seen how a scrap-book had brightened her own mother’s last days, Bate – with the help of the design and publishing know-how her course had given her - resolved to do the same for more people.
Last year, during her final year at University, Bate applied for a Level One grant from UnLtd ( a scheme for social entrepreneurs – www.unltd.org.uk ). The £5,000 sponsorship money they awarded her was enough for a feasibility study.
She approached a number of nursing homes in her home county of Cheshire and provided their occupational therapists with some dummy pictures. The feedback Bate received was very positive. Spurred on, she applied for a Level 2 UnLtd grant of £20,000; so she could set aside a year of her life to focus solely on the project and know her living costs would be covered. Although she was keeping costs to an absolute minimum she realised she needed further funding to get the first books published. Once she started searching she found a wide range of funding sources. She managed to raise further funds from the Lankelly Chase Charity, The Rayne Foundation, the Cheshire and Warrington Social Enterprise Partnership and The Cheshire Partnership Innovations Fund. Almost one year on and Pictures to Share, her Community Interest Company is ready for business and the books are on the eve of publication. Dummy copies have come back from their temporary homes looking encouragingly battered. Bate is adamant that she will retire at 60. “I want to get the organisation up to a point where it isn’t just me, a computer and a telephone” she laughs. “I would like it to have its own premises and a team of employees and then I will be able to take a step back.” Ironically, Bate’s own illustration work has taken a back seat, although she is currently working on her second book of illustrated school stories. “Pictures To Share was just something I had to do,” she says. “And I don’t regret it one little bit.” Written by Chloe Fox
This article was created: 8 August 2006.
This article was last edited: 14 November 2006.
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