Community Support for Dementia is a voluntary group offering support to the families and informal carers of people living with dementia in and around Melbourn and Meldreth by hosting a monthly Memory Café and a Dementia Sing-Along group, as well as other ad hoc activities.
This activity is good for wellbeing because
- socialising with memory-loss can be difficult, but everyone at the Memory Café and Dementia Sing-Along group is understanding and supportive;
- meeting other people with similar experiences can prevent loneliness and isolation - Community Support for Dementia activities provide a safe and inclusive space for people living with memory loss and their carers and loved ones;
- Community Support for Dementia volunteers offer support over the phone or in person to families and informal carers looking people with dementia; many of the volunteers have similar lived experiences so can offer advice and empathy.
"My husband has Lewy Body Dementia and is unable to speak, is immobile and incontinent. This a progressive disease and over 5 to 20 years becomes terminal. I feel grief for the loss of my partner of 50 years and yet he is still here and needs care. After suffering depression, I was referred by the doctor to get involved with other carers. The Meldreth Memory Café has been a life saver. The friendly welcome, the lively activities, the memorable music, the connecting with others in the same boat, the happy smile I see on my husband’s face, and the feeling to be able to be included in something like this, all goes towards improving my husband’s anxiety and cognitive level and my own health and wellbeing."
How to contact
Phone
Where to go
Meldreth Village Hall
Elin Way
Meldreth
SG8 6LX
What to expect
The separate monthly Memory Café and Dementia Sing-Along group are held at Meldreth Village Hall. There are also other ad hoc events throughout the year, including Dementia Awareness Workshops for families and informal carers.
When you attend a group or activity you will get a warm welcome, refreshments and can take part in whatever the group is doing during that session - or you can just 'be'. No-one will judge if you are having a bad day or don't want to join in.
Volunteers from Community Support for Dementia are on hand to answer any questions carers, partners or family members might have about other groups/activities, care agencies, reading materials, mobility and independence aids, benefits, personal care or just to listen if you need to talk. The same people tend to volunteer each time, so you'll quickly get to know familiar faces.
The Memory Café and Dementia Sing-Along group last for two hours but you can leave any time.
More information
To find out dates and times for activities and events and to book your place(s), email or telephone Davina using the contact information provided.
People living with memory loss must be accompanied by a carer, partner, friend or family member.
There is free parking at the hall. There are disabled toilets and the venue is accessible for people using wheelchairs - the venue is on the ground floor.
No dogs are allowed other than service dogs.
If you'd like to be a Community Support for Dementia volunteer, contact Davina.
The Memory Café and Dementia Sing-Along group are free to attend.
How to contact
Phone
Where to go
Meldreth Village Hall
Elin Way
Meldreth
SG8 6LX
