Dementia hub to launch with memory cafe in Newbury next month

The aim is to create a hub for people living with dementia and their carers, friends and relatives, to meet with others over tea and cake. Arts activities will also be available.
The sessions, which will be held on the last Monday of every month in the Corn Exchange Balcony Bar, will kick off on January 26. They have been launched in partnership with Newbury Alzheimer’s Society and NHS Memory Clinic and visitors can drop in anytime between 10.30am and 12.30pm.
A grant from the Big Lottery Fund will fund the project and dementia awareness training for all front line staff and volunteers at the theatre.
It follows the launch of the Newbury Dementia Action Alliance in June, in which around 30 local businesses - including Gardner Leader, the Corn Exchange, Waterstones and The Empire Café - pledged to improve their services for people with dementia.
Newbury MP Richard Benyon, who was among those who turned out to mark the launch in Newbury’s market square, said: “I am delighted that the Corn Exchange, such a focal point for our community, is to become a new social hub.
“One in three people over the age of 65 will develop dementia during their lifetime and in less than 10 years’ time over one million people will be living with the condition in the UK.
“Local health initiatives are vital in ensuring people get the help and support they require.”
The Corn Exchange is now seeking more volunteers to help run the memory cafe project. For more information or to register your interest in becoming a volunteer, contact the learning and participation coordinator, Joe Hornsby, on (01635) 582666.