New website for people affected by dementia in the Western Isles

Arora works with people living with dementia and carers in the Western Isles community by focusing on individuals and capturing the sparks of creativity that they share.

The project engages with people who are living with dementia and those in their circle of care, as well as reaching out to the wider community.

The project relaunched in April 2015 works with those impacted by dementia through workshops and events for cèilidh culture, hand memory and other creative approaches.

Arora’s brand was created by branding and design agency Good. Arora was chosen as one of two winners of the 2015 Good for Nothing appeal – an initiative which sees Good create branding for a charity or business which looks to make positive change in the world – but which could not ordinarily afford to invest in branding or design in this way.

The Arora team has been working closely with Good to develop a new brand identity and website which sheds light on our creative engagement within a bilingual community.

The 2016/17 Good for Nothing appeal is open for entries now, with successful entrants to be chosen in early 2017 (https://www.wearegood.com/good-for-nothing).

The newly launched website (wearearora.org) showcases the engagement and research that the project team have been involved in so far and provides a platform for the project to share all of the work that they are doing and the creative outcomes that are emerging from these opportunities.

You can visit the new website at: wearearora.org

The Arora team are delighted to have won the ‘best dementia friendly community initiative’ at this year’s Scottish Dementia Awards in Glasgow in September.

Talking about the project, coordinator Heather Baillie, says: “The new Arora website gives us an opportunity to share the sparks of creativity that have been captured through the day-to-day life of Arora and to share our project with a wider audience.

“It enables us to provide carers and people affected by dementia with creative inspiration for engagement as well as useful resources.

“We are proud to have developed a brand that reflects the core values of our work: community care, creative spirit and shared culture and are grateful to Good for this opportunity and their commitment to reflecting what’s at the heart of our project.

“The team is delighted to have been nominated for the Scottish Dementia Awards; this highlights the positive impact that Arora is having in the Western Isles communities and the real sense of ownership from the people who are at the heart of Arora.”