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Dementia and Social Connection Training (Kirkwall)

Starts Thursday 8th October 2026
10:00 - 16:00

Free

Do you want to help make your community more dementia-resilient?

Connected Lives Dementia and Social Connection training will empower you to plan and deliver dementia-friendly events and services in your community.

The course blends research, case studies and practical advice with lots of opportunities for discussion and peer learning. This training session is free so book now to avoid disappointment

Who is it for?

You will benefit from Connected Lives training if you are based in Scotland and any of the following apply:

  • You are a member of staff at a third sector organisation
  • You lead or manage volunteers in a third sector organisation
  • You are a volunteer who supports people living with dementia and/or their carers
  • You work with the community and encounter people with diverse needs
  • You want to feel more confident in supporting people living with dementia

What’s included

Your free Connected Lives training session includes:

6 hours of learning with an experienced facilitator

Access to dementia training resources, including the Connected Lives Good Practice Guide

Accredited CPD points

You can also access the Connected Lives e-learning for volunteers and carers, which will be released later in the year.

What you’ll learn

The Connected Lives course blends research, case studies and practical advice with lots of opportunities for discussion and peer learning. The course structure below gives a snapshot of what you’ll take away from the course.


Dementia and Social Connection

Deepen your understanding of dementia and the importance of social connection for people living with dementia.

Topics covered

In this section, you will:

  • Learn about the characteristics of common types of dementia
  • Explore the impact of social connection for people living with dementia
  • Identify gaps in provision in your community
  • Explore common barriers to offering dementia-friendly services


Inclusion and Support

Develop and deliver inclusive events, activities and services that are accessible for people living with dementia.

Topics covered

In this section, you will:

  • Understand the impact of a dementia diagnosis
  • Learn about the types of stigma surrounding dementia
  • Get top tips and checklists for creating dementia-friendly spaces and events
  • Explore barriers to communication and how to overcome them


Volunteer Involvement

Support your volunteers to build and sustain relationships with people living with dementia

Topics covered

In this section, you will:

  • Explore the impact volunteers can have on the lives of those with dementia
  • Learn how to improve your volunteer recruitment process
  • Access in-depth dementia training resources for your volunteers
  • Understand the impact of carers and the challenges they face


Additional Support

Identify your next steps to offering a dementia-friendly service for your community

Topics covered

In this section, you will:

  • Build connections with your fellow attendees to develop a local network of dementia-friendly services
  • Co-create a list of useful resources and organisations
  • Get links and information for other helpful resources
  • Identify actions you will take to apply your learning

Meet your trainer

Edel Roddy

With a professional background in nursing, research, training & development, Edel brings rich experience of engaging with health and social care, third sector and community organisations to the Connected Lives project. This work has taken her across the length and breadth of Scotland, to the rest of the UK and to the far reaches of Australia!

Read more

Edel has a passion for creating spaces of connection and learning, where people can share their experiences and expertise, and come away with fresh perspectives and ideas.  She gets quite a buzz from exploring stories from practice, to uncover gems of insights and possibilities that might have been previously hidden. A wee niche Edel has developed in her work is in creating conversational resources that help people to talk about their thoughts, feelings, hopes and ideas.  

Alongside work she spends chunks of time on Vinted looking for quirky homeware treasures, and returns to Ireland regularly where she supports her ageing parents.

Frequently Asked Questions

The exact location of the venue will be included in a follow-up email after booking.

All venues for the Connected Lives training sessions are wheelchair accessible, with step-free access or lifts. The venue is close to public transport links.

We want to ensure that the training is inclusive and suitable for all. When booking, please inform us of any accessibility requirements that you have so we can provide the support you need.

BSL interpreters are available on request, dependent on interpreter availability. Please book as early as possible to allow us time to arrange this.

Yes, a light lunch and refreshments will be provided. We aim to ensure that we provide for all attendees’ dietary requirements. Please let us know about any allergies or dietary requirements when you book your place.

While you’ll get the most out of the event if you can stay until the end, we understand that you may have caring or other commitments that prevent this. The final module of the day is primarily signposting to other resources, which will be sent out post-event, so you can leave before this module if needed.

As places are very limited, please email us on info@befriending.co.uk if you can no longer attend so we can free up a place for someone else.

If the event is cancelled, attendees will be notified by email. An alternative date will not be scheduled, so please book another location or attend an online session.

Due to limited capacity, our in-person training sessions are only open to organisations and individuals based in or operating in Scotland.

Our online sessions will be open to attendees based outside Scotland, though Scotland-based organisations and practitioners will be prioritised.

Yes, this training will be relevant to anyone who supports people living with dementia.

Connected Lives is a brand new course with a wider scope than our Dementia and Befriending course. Please refer to the What You’ll Learn section for more details about the content of the course to see if it will be relevant for you.

Due to the limited number of spaces available, a maximum of 2 people per organisation can attend.

To help us ensure we gather accurate attendee information and evaluation data, you can only book one ticket per order. Please submit your bookings separately.

We will be running in-person training sessions in 20 locations across Scotland, as well as 4 online. Visit our Connected Lives training page for details of other sessions.


Connected Lives is a Befriending Networks project funded by the Scottish Government’s Dementia Resilient Communities Fund.

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