ADSS is proud to unveil an extraordinary new initiative in Medway: its first Memory Café. Launching in Strood on Tuesday 14th January 2025, this vibrant community space is set to be a lifeline for individuals living with dementia, their families, and carers. With its doors opening at the Strood & Frindsbury Working Men’s Club, the Memory Café will be a place where joy, understanding, and support come together to create lasting impact.
The Memory Café is more than a gathering place; it’s a cornerstone for fostering connections and empowering those affected by dementia. By providing an inclusive and nurturing environment, ADSS is making strides toward building a dementia-friendly community in Medway. “In some towns across Medway there were groups that have been set up and largely being run by volunteers and in other towns such as where we are today, there was little to no support.
We set ourselves the mission of helping on both fronts,” said Katie Antill, CEO of ADSS. “I would also like to pay particular thanks to Peter Rhodes and Colin Barden from East Kent Freemasons as the kind representatives of the Masonic Charitable Foundation who have kindly given us a generous grant over two years to fund the services. We are also indebted to the Richard Watts Foundation who have given us a specific grant to help us get the services up and running in Rochester, Strood and surrounding areas”.
Dementia affects nearly 900,000 people across the UK, the memory café is a growing need in Medway as the number of people living with dementia in Medway is on the rise with more than 3000 people impacted. Making initiatives like the Memory Café more important than ever.
The café aims to be a lifeline for individuals and families navigating the complexities of dementia, providing them with the tools, companionship, and confidence to thrive. Cllr Douglas Hamandishe, Deputy Mayor of Medway attended the event was touched by the collaborative efforts of ADSS and stated “these groups are absolutely important, and we need to do more to raise awareness of these groups and where they exist so people can engage with them. They are applying collaborative intervention where people who have dementia can link in with people that can support them”.