On Saturday glasses of champagne will be raised to a former Bathresident whose single-minded campaigning changed the lives of manyAlzheimer's sufferers and their carers in and around the city.
Exactly 10 years ago this weekend a new centre was opened inBath that would, in the years ahead, give hundreds of carers andAlzheimer's sufferers a bit of a breathing space. The Peggy DoddCentre in Summer Lane, Combe Down, also helps provide interest and ashape to the week for people with this disease.
On Saturday a private champagne tea will be held at the centrewhere a glass of bubbly will be raised to Peggy herself and the workshe started. Although the centre has been open for a decade, Peggy's work began many years previously.
Mary King, who has just retired as chair of the Friends, saidthat Peggy's crusade on behalf of carers and Alzheimer's sufferersstarted after a harrowing experience with her own husband early inhis illness. Little did Peggy know, though, where her campaign topersuade friends and acquaintances to become sitters for those inneed would eventually lead.
Peggy was at the forefront of the movement that helped topersuade the public that Alzheimer's was an illness in its own rightand not just senile dementia that could be swept under the carpet.
As Peggy mobilised her friends it became clear that there was ahuge amount of work to be done in Bath. It became clear too thatsome sort of centre was needed.
In 1983 there was a modest start in the St Michael's Centre nextto the Little Theatre on two and a half days a week when suffererscould be looked after while their carers were free for a few hoursto do shopping or just have some time to themselves.
Later accommodation on three days a week became possible atRosemary Lodge.
Providentially Rex Oakes a former Cheshire Homes warden retiredat the same time that the University of Bath moved its medicalengineering department up to the RUH.
So in 1988 Support for Relatives of the Elderly Mentally infirmmoved into the old premises.
Kathy Wilson became the first full-time manager.
Over the next few years there were various attempts to providefurther places but for one reason or another they provedunworkable.
But with difficulties over the future of their first home theymoved again to St Martin's Hospital but later on a small committeewas formed that began looking at other possibilities for a buildingthat would provide secure tenure for the long term.
They looked at an old school in Widcombe, a car showroom onWellsway and a large house in Wells Road but none was suitable.
They found the former Combe Down Holiday Home but that was toolarge and too expensive. Then at last there was the Royal SmithfieldClub, which wanted to downsize, and offered to let the ground floorof Brierley House in Summer Lane. And so the problem was solved atlast.
A deal was clinched and Peggy Dodd's dream became a reality. As aresult, lottery grant and trust money began flowing in and Supportfor people with Alzheimer's - or SPA for short - hasn't looked backsince.
The centre can be contacted on 01225 835520.
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