‘It greets the nose like an old friend’ – Coast Candle Co partners with Alzheimer Scotland to create a ‘memory’ candle designed by people living with dementia.
A Nairn-based, independent candle company has teamed up with a charity to create a candle with a scent around the theme of memories.
Coast Candle Co, has been working with Alzheimer Scotland’s X group in the South Highlands to create the candle which will be sold online to help raise money for the charity.
Janis Maclean, owner of Coast Candle Co worked with a group of people living with dementia and their carers over several workshops, to develop a collective blend that took each participant back to a memorable place in their lifetime.
The group sampled many scents which allowed them to enjoy the process of remembering and creating and ultimately connecting them to their pasts and to each other.
Dementia affects every community in Scotland, with over 90,000 people across the country living with the condition.
Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s National dementia charity providing support and information to people living with dementia, their carers and families.
The charity campaigns for the rights of people with dementia and funds vital dementia research.
Karen Black, Dementia Advisor for Alzheimer Scotland, South Highlands said it was great to work on the project:
“It has been lovely to work with Janis from Coast Candle Co.
“Having the opportunity to do something that is different to our usual community groups has been fantastic and it’s been great to have had a number of people joining the different workshops we did around scent and memories to create this lovely candle.
“It has been a real team effort and the decision about the final scent was made by lots of people we support and not just those who had been involved in the process.
“It has been a privilege to hear all of the memories that have been inspired by the scents.”
The scent contains a mixture of rose, lemon verbena, oakmoss and vanilla.
Janis, who has owned Coast Candle Co for 13 years added:
“It’s been my pleasure to work with Karen and her team, and the community group in Inverness, sampling scents and listening to shared precious memories, which have inspired a beautiful fragrance with notes that everyone will recognise and enjoy.
“I’ve met some lovely people and I thank them for allowing me to be a part of their journey.
“I hope you will love the candle as much as we do.”
One participant in the group said:
“Through this, memories have been brought back.
“It’s lovely.
“You don’t think of the memories all the time, so if something prods your memory it brings lots of memories back.”
Coast Candle Co will be donating 50 per cent of profits raised through the candle to Alzheimer Scotland’s South Highlands locality.
The money raised will continue to support the local community helping fund local groups and activities whilst also supporting the local Dementia Advisor and Dementia Link Worker.
The candle was officially launched this week, which is also Scotland’s Dementia Awareness Week (29 May to 04 June).
The candle can be purchased from the Coast Candles website at: www.coastcandleco.com
