Golf club donation makes sure Dementia Research Unit is up to par
11 August 2023
The newly refurbished lounge at the Dementia Research Unit in Crowborough was officially opened last month by the ladies and men's captains of Lewes Golf Club, following a generous donation to Heads On, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust's charity.
The Dementia Research Unit lounge, which is used by the Dementia Research Team to meet with people who are interested in taking part in research trials, had long needed an overhaul to make it a more welcoming space. The captains of the ladies and men's sections of Lewes Golf Club selected Heads On and the Dementia Research Unit as their chosen charity for 2019, and arranged matches and charity days to raise funds.
Heads On is Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust's official charity. Heads On develops and funds special projects, patient and family support, pioneering research and transformation projects to make things better for people with mental health problems.
The refurbishment, that had previously been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, has included decorating, new furniture, new flooring, and new display cases to provide clear information about studies and the staff working on them, as well as photography of the local area.
Stuart Cameron-Waller, previous captain at Lewes Golf Club, said: "We chose to support Heads On and the Dementia Research Unit as we had personal experience of friends who had suffered early onset dementia, and knew the impact for them and their families, so we wanted to identify local projects that could help local people affected by dementia.
The majority of the funds raised came from the very generous members of Lewes Golf Club and local businesses who supported charity days, raffles, auctions, as well as a fellow captain who ran a sponsored half-marathon.
We are so impressed by how the money has been used and the work that has been done to upgrade the lounge, and hope that it will improve the experience of all who work at and visit the unit."
The refurbished lounge was officially opened by the golf captains on Monday 31 July at a small ceremony attended by research participants and people who had been involved in the project.
Work has also been completed in the courtyard garden at the unit which was made possible by funding from the Sussex Partnership Staff Health and Wellbeing fund and bedding plants donated by the Friends of Crowborough Hospital.
To find out more about current dementia research studies, go to www.
