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  • About Us

    About Us

    Cornwall Memory Cafes were opened to enhance the wellbeing and the quality of life of those who have memory loss – whether diagnosed or not, together with those of the carers.
Cornwall Memory Cafes were opened to enhance the wellbeing and the quality of life of those who have memory loss – whether diagnosed or not, together with those of the carers.
The Cafes offer opportunities through activities such as music, dance, entertainment, exercise, paper therapies and the all-important social time together.
They are not a day care centre but a regular afternoon of social activity and support – in fact, as many carers say – they are a lifeline.
They are fun, friendly and in most cases free.
This year, 2022, sees the 15th Anniversary of Memory Cafes in Cornwall. The first, Launceston, introduced this ground breaking approach into the Duchy. Taking inspiration from Launceston and across the border in Devon the Wadebridge Memory Cafe then followed.
Adopting a social approach inviting people with memory loss and their carers to come together for peer support a gradual spontaneous movement grew with various community organisations setting about the creation of Memory Cafes in all parts of the county.
When there was a small number of Memory Cafes up and running their enthusiastic representatives met to create an informal network to provide mutual support. This led to a joint application with the statutory services to apply for grant funding to employ a co-ordinator to grow and sustain a network of Memory Cafes. This volunteer led process, was successful. For the years when grant funding was available the network grew. When the grant funding came to an end the Network activists created a Membership Organisation by constitution with is the organisation you find today managed by a committee of memory cafe representatives with some organisational partners.
Our situation now is that there are almost 50 Memory Cafes in the Cornwall Memory Cafe Network. All are independent, reflect the communities they serve, have variable years of existence, and a broad range of experience in their teams. Except for three highly valued staff, a co-ordinator and two Wayfinders, employed by Disability Cornwall for a particular project, Cornwall’s Memory Cafes are a totally volunteer led and delivered initiative estimated to involve 400 volunteers. All the Memory Cafes have been significantly affected by the pandemic and its periods of restrictions, supporting their participants in varied and creative ways. The majority have reopened sustaining those they have supported over years and reaching out to new participants, people with memory loss, their carers and volunteers. We are looking forward to a positive future together. Do visit us. You can find out when and where the Memory Cafes are open on this site.