On 13/05/22, I and some volunteers took part in the Dragon Boat Race hosted by Skipton Rotary Club at the Coniston Hotel. We were raising money for Dementia Forward, a cause close to my heart.

I’m delighted we were able to raise money for such a worthy charity. My Grandfather suffered from dementia during his final years. This all came to a head during the Covid pandemic at the height of social distancing restrictions. My brothers and I were unable to see him during his final days because of this, instead gathering together to support each other at the door to the wing where he was being treated in the hospital. We were soon told to move on, as social distancing measures were in place and we were just another risk for those more vulnerable. Of course we understood, we just wanted to be there to support our mother and Grandma who, thankfully, were at my Grandpa’s side. I take solace knowing that he wasn’t alone. We left as we were asked.

It was a tough time for us, through his sickness and his death. To not be able to see him at all during the severe stages of his deterioration and in the hospital bed. We couldn’t even organise a funeral for him since the restrictions were still in place. It was as if he had just disappeared one day, to never be seen or heard from again. For me, there is still a sense of unsatiated closure hanging in the air, since we never got the chance to pay our final respects. But, life keeps going, and we must too.

In the years leading up to his death, we received support in managing my Grandpa’s condition. Nurses would regularly come over to check up on him and provide medication. Staff were also provided to assist with the cooking and cleaning since my Grandmother was unable to keep up with it all on her own. These charities are imperative in helping families deal with the slow degradation of a persons character as they and their family struggle with dementia.

The Dragon Boat Race was a fantastic event. I and my incredible team of loyal friends and family weren’t expecting much; we were just happy to be there and have some fun for a good cause! There were stalls, food, sunshine, and some friendly rivalry. There was a fancy dress competition for the best-dressed team. We dressed as pirates, sporting the Selfish Spirits logo along with some stick-on tattoos meant for children. We didn’t place in that competition, unfortunately. The prize was quite rightly awarded to a team dressed as 80’s idols, with a convincing Freddie Mercury, David Bowie and Michael Jackson on the oars! But, we accepted the loss and decided to give it our all in the race instead, never ones to turn down some good competition. And it paid off! I don’t know how it happened, but we managed to nab 3rd place! We were up against 16 other teams, and we had never done this before so it was a result we were very happy with indeed.

Like the Landaid Sleepout challenge we took part in prior to this, it was a great opportunity to do some good and have fun whilst we were at it. We are always looking for the next challenge to face, so if you have any ideas about what we can do, or perhaps have a worthy charity in mind, please feel free to get in touch at info@selfishspiritscompany.com and we’ll take it on!