Winner at the National Dementia Care Awards 2018!

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Caroline Twist, Stories for the Soul Co-Lead and Playlist for Life Trainer, has been awarded Dementia Care Champion at the National Dementia Care Awards 2018.  Caroline was presented with this award by Hazel Blears at the high profile Gala Night held on Thursday 8th November at the Hilton Brighton Metropole, attended by over 400 guests.

The awards ceremony was such a special occasion! It was great to hear about all the fantastic work going on around the UK in creative dementia provision. It was an honour to be nominated in the first place but to win is brilliant! Sheffield is such a wonderfully vibrant and creative place and the stories of the people in the city have inspired me to do all the work I do. A massive thank you to Kathryn Lord and all those who have been part of this adventure into creative dementia support!
— Caroline Twist
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Caroline has worked in Sheffield older people’s services in health and social care for 15 years. She has set up two creative reminiscence handling collections at The Montgomery in Sheffield and St.Peter’s College Resource Centre , implementing the findings of her Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship in 2015, researching ‘Artist Engagement with Life History Work in Care Home Settings’ in Europe and South America.

For the past three years Caroline has worked designing a care home support resource for Twinkl, and has been the development worker for the Mutual Blessings project Stories for the Soul. Over many years she has creatively explored how dementia is conveyed to the public in her freelance capacity as Storytelling with a Twist. In 2018 she curated two dementia friendly art exhibitions at The Montgomery and Sheffield Cathedral as part of Sheffeel arts festival. Caroline is currently a trainer for Playlist for Life and is working until March setting up help points for the charity in the Sheffield area.

Caroline is a member of Sheffield Creative Guild, Yorkshire Art Space and has recently joined the executive committee of Christian Council on Ageing.

Caroline Twist receiving the Award

The judges chose Caroline because of the warmth and quality of connection she brings to her relationships with people living with dementia, staff at care homes, families and carers. The breadth and depth of her portfolio of projects and activities in dementia care is expansive.

Carrie Twist