3rd March 2021

To be able to contribute virtually is something we would not have considered possible before the pandemic so full marks to our staff teams and to the museum for taking this innovative approach.

Members at Old Silk Works Club are helping Wiltshire Museum as it plans an ambitious redevelopment of the Devizes Assize Court.

The building, currently derelict, was purchased by the Devizes Assize Court Trust in 2018, to redevelop as a new home for the Museum.  The charity is now embarking on a long-term project to transform the building into a community hub for the area.

Although the day club is not able to receive visitors due to Covid restrictions, club members, and a separate group of Devizes-based carers, took part in online focus groups via Zoom with museum staff. They gave insights into the kinds of displays, events and information they would find interesting and talked about what they had enjoyed about museums they had visited in the past. 

The carers group shared their experiences of life in the local area as a carer.  They discussed types of activities that would benefit people with dementia and shared ideas for making the museum more accessible.

The groups were among the first to give feedback on the preliminary interpretation plans. Their comments and ideas will be influential in shaping the space and display designs to make sure they are accessible to a wide range of people. 

People with dementia have so much to offer

Alzheimer’s Support CEO Babs Harris said: “We are so pleased to be involved in this important project. People with dementia and their family carers can have so much to offer their local communities and it is wonderful that their memories and insights are being included in the planning of the new museum.

“To be able to contribute virtually is something we would not have considered possible before the pandemic so full marks to our staff teams and to the museum for taking this innovative approach.”

Old Silk Works Club