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Dementia patients use memories to make soap

Cathy Killick,in Bradfordand
Sofía Luis-Hobbs
Cathy Killick/BBC An elderly woman with short grey hair smiles at the camera as she holds up a bar of soap. She has circular glasses, and wears a pink knitted cardigan over a navy printed top.Cathy Killick/BBC
Noeline Townsend said is one of the residents who helped to design the soaps

Residents at a Bradford care home have come together to help curate a bespoke line of soaps with their memories at the heart.

The dementia support soap collection is a collaboration between Springfield care home and The Yorkshire Soap Company.

Proceeds from the soaps' sales will go towards building a new dementia garden at Springfield as well as more art sessions for residents.

Care assistant Shannon Palmer said: "Every element of the packaging has been designed to trigger a sense of nostalgia and comfort."

Cathy Killick/BBC A group of four elderly women sit around a table painting on canvases. Two women in purple carer uniforms crouch next to the table as they speak together.Cathy Killick/BBC
Residents at the care home have been taking part in art classes for months

The art on the packaging has all been drawn and chosen by the residents, including Noeline Townsend.

The 94-year-old told the BBC she had always had a love for art: "It does unlock memories, I remember drawing at school and bits come back to you.

"I used to think, I am not going to write that down, I will draw it."

The art lessons at the care home have been a source of joy for Noeline, who grew up in Bradford and spent lots of time in the Yorkshire Dales.

"It is wonderful because everybody has some sort of art in them."

Cathy Killick/BBC An elderly woman with short grey hair and glasses is seated at a wooden table as she draws a black cat on a canvas. She wears a bright pink top under a black cardigan.Cathy Killick/BBC
One of Pauline's drawings was used on the packaging

Hand-drawn designs reflect the residents' memories and have been used on the soaps' packaging.

The five different fragrances have all been chosen by them too.

Cathy Killick/BBC A woman with curly black hair smiles at the camera. She wears a purple uniform. Women are sat at tables behind her as they work on canvases.Cathy Killick/BBC
Care assistant Shannon Palmer said the sessions were having a real impact

Care assistant Shannon has been working on the project after manager Victoria Hemsworth reached out to the Yorkshire Soap Company with the idea.

"The residents come into the art sessions and it is like they change, they go back to their youth or their childhood and it is memories that are triggered," she said.

"One of the ladies drew her grandad, which was really lovely, we've had ladies drawing the care home's cat. Then Noeline drew a farmhouse and it's absolutely magnificent."

Pauline Ellerby, 94, trained as a textile designer and designed children's clothes.

She said the process had been something "unusual" for her but feels "very pleased" with how the packaging has turned out.

The soaps are being sold online and at The Yorkshire Soap Company's Halifax store.

Noeline added: "It is wonderful, as long as it is building something, I am quite honoured."

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