“To recognise our
responsibility to always
look outwards, whilst
also responding to
opportunities within
our organisation that
allows us to reach for
change that makes
a difference.”
Dr Fiona Maclean
ROLE
Senior Lecturer, Occupational
Therapy and Arts Therapies
QMU Academic Champion
for Entrepreneurship
SPECIFIC PROJECT OR INITIATIVE
Santander Universities UK Internship Programme
A collaboration between QMU and Alzheimer Scotland
An innovative and unique partnership
arising from our understanding of the influence
meaningful occupation has to people’s health
and wellbeing, resulted in paid internship
opportunities for occupational therapy students
to undertake projects with Alzheimer Scotland.
The aim of our work was to build an innovative academic
internship collaboration with Alzheimer Scotland
and occupational therapy students at QMU steered by
the importance and value of meaningful occupation.
Occupation may be defined broadly as the various everyday
activities people do as individuals, in families and with
communities to occupy time and bring meaning and
purpose to life.
Our collaboration is truly unique and has grown to
include 9 paid internships placed with Alzheimer
Scotland since 2013. Examples of our work include, ‘This
is Me’, a film written and created in partnership with
a person experiencing dementia, challenging some of the
assumptions we may hold connected to living with dementia.