We donate £5 from each booking fee to a good cause and this year our chosen recipient is an Edinburgh based social enterprise called The Ally Bally Bee Project. This project has a special place in our hearts because Matthew is married to our Social Media Manager Nina.
“Dementia affects every family differently – which is why we wanted to create a children’s book that was relevant to your family’s situation.”
Matthew, Project Founder
Dementia can be difficult enough for an adult to comprehend – so how do you explain it to a six year old? The Ally Bally Bee Project is on a mission to create the world’s first personalised children’s book about dementia. A book where character names and dementia-related behavioural traits are tailored to your situation.
Maybe you want to explain Nana’s dementia to little Sophie or perhaps you want to help little Leo understand why his Uncle sometimes acts the way he does. The Ally Bally Bee Project is on a mission to make such difficult conversations easier.
Want to get involved? You can donate here.
Two years ago, my wife was pregnant with our first child. It was around the same time that her grandmother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I recall, one evening, sitting around the table with the family discussing the way her gran had been acting and the things she had been saying. It was tricky enough for us adults to make sense of – so how would a child make sense of it? It got me thinking: how would I explain granny’s dementia to my daughter?
The question ‘how do you explain dementia to a six year old?’ stuck with me and has formed the basis of the project’s mission ever since. Children’s books about dementia do exist. And personalised children’s books exist. We decided to combine the two.
