‘Life Stories’ founder Ken remembered

Ken Holt

The Oldham founder of the increasingly successful “Life Stories” organisation is to be honoured with a national award.

Entries are open for nominations for the Ken Holt Memorial Award which will be presented at the National Dementia Care Awards in recognition of the work to improve the lives of people with dementia.

The award, sponsored by the Life Story Network, is named in memory of Oldhamer Ken, who died in September 2010 aged 82.

As carer for his dementia-suffering wife, Alice, he creating an account of her life as a story, with information on school, work and her likes and dislikes, as a way of bringing back her memories and helping staff in her residential home to know more about her.

The work was so successful the idea spread to other care services and the Oldham Life Story Steering Group established in 2004.

The group has gone on to help many people with dementia and their family and carers.

Ken and the group won a Pride in Oldham Award in 2005.

The award has been created to recognise those who have changed people’s lives, improved relationships or changed organisations through capturing and promoting the use of life stories.

Nominate someone you think fits the criteria at www.lifestorynetwork.org.uk before September 13.