Lucy Temby

Classical musician Lucy Temby has graduated with a Postgraduate Certificate in Person Centred Dementia Care.

Lucy Temby

Lucy, who hails from Australia, had been working as a performer and facilitator running music workshops and programmes for people living with dementia, when she decided she wanted to expand her knowledge.

She joined the University of Worcester in 2020 while living in Manchester. But a year later she moved back home to Sydney and continued her studies long distance.

“When I started my career journey in classical music, I never imagined it would lead me to the dementia space - but I could not be more thankful that it did,” she said. “Since I started working in this space, I have always been looking for ways to increase my knowledge and understanding, and to keep my mind open and curious.

“I feel the area of dementia is so rewarding, as there is always more to learn, so having the opportunity to continue studying was a great privilege. I chose the course at Worcester because I wanted to delve into a longer-term course, and study in depth, and come away with a recognised qualification. I also wished to study with leading minds in the field, and that is why Worcester’s course was so appealing.”

When she started the course, Lucy was working at a dementia charity in Manchester.

“I moved back to Australia and have now managed to secure a job working as the Wellbeing and Community Outreach Coordinator for a care home group in Sydney,” she said. “Even though I moved continents during the course, I was able to manage the work and still attend my tutorials - although sometimes at 11pm.”

The 28-year-old added: “I feel very proud to have stretched myself in this course and am graduating with a great sense of achievement. As a classical musician, my previous higher educational degrees have been much more focused on performance, so not only did the content of this course expand my knowledge, but the delivery of the content really improved my critical thinking and academic skills.

“My ambitions career wise are to make a difference to people living with dementia, to inspire better inclusion and understanding for people with dementia across the community and leave a legacy of joy.”

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