Funding for the dolls came from Club Taree, which had offered community grants to groups, organisations and team/project committees needing a hand in the community.

The Quota Club applied for a grant and was successful, using the money to purchase the dolls.

Therapy dolls are a positive, helpful and non-medicated way to calm and soothe seniors with alzheimers or dementia. Giving them a soft, lifelike baby doll to cuddle can be an effective calming strategy, by decreasing stress, agitation and other significant behaviour issues.

The dolls help patients feel useful and needed and gives them something positive to focus on and take care of.

Another reason therapy dolls are helpful is that they bring back happy memories of early parenthood for both women and men.

Having a child to care for can also take away feelings of isolation and sadness, these dolls have a very positive effect.

Taree Quota Club thanks Paul Allan and Club Taree for their generous grant, which will certainly make a positive difference offering support and providing welfare to aged citizens in local nursing homes.

"We wish Club Taree a very happy fifth birthday and congratulate them on the positive difference they are making in our local community," said secretary Janenne Towers.

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