Memory Café » Cornwall Rural Community Council

What is the Memory Café Network?

The aim of this project is to facilitate the grass roots development of sustainable, community-led Memory Cafes and Peer Support Groups across Cornwall and to build a network which will support best practice and enable a learning exchange.

What we can do for you?

We can help communities develop new Memory Cafés and Peer Support Groups across the county, by gathering together interested partners within local communities such as GPs, CMHT nurses, local groups, Older Person’s Forums, WI, Rotary Club, Day Services, Carers’ Groups etc) to ‘grow’ them using a grass roots approach.

Public Liability Insurance cover – most buildings have their own public liability Insurance cover, but it is worth checking. Memory cafés which join the Network can be covered by the Netwrok’s own Public Liability Insurance Cover.

Criminal Records Bureau checks –the general guidance is that cafés should at least have the lead volunteers CRB checked (usually 2 or 3 anchor people), and definitely anyone who is alone with or working on a one-to-one basis with Café guests ie transporting people. The Network will cover the cost of CRB checks for up to 5 volunteers per Café and the Memory Café Network Support Worker from Volunteer Cornwall, Emily Hudson will be able to advise you and also help you access this scheme. Emily’s contact details are given below.

Developing Cognitive Stimulation – we can visit Memory Cafés and work with volunteers to develop activities which are creative, stimulating and ‘failure-free’.

Daily Sparkle– Reminiscence Newspaper – as a member of the Network, each Memory Café receives by email a weekly edition of this reminiscence newspaper which comes with ‘Carers’ Notes’ on how to get the most out of articles and example questions to open up discussion. This is a great resource to use in the Café sessions and for guests to take home.

Cornwall Memory Café Network Newsletter – as a member of the Network, each Memory Café receives by email a quarterly edition of the Newsletter. We are also planning to develop a Carers’ Corner Newsletter with ideas, letters, hints and tips.

Regular volunteer training sessions – There is regular dementia awareness, cognitive stimulation and other training available, please contact us for further details.

How it works

This project is a National Dementia Strategy Demonstrator site and has been funded by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust (Department of Health) as part of the National Dementia Strategy.

Support and Advice

We can help Memory Cafés and Peer Support Groups become sustainable, by working with groups to increase and improve governance with advice and practical help on constitutions, structure, charitable status, venues, health and safety issues, finding and applying for funding, grants etc.

Our aim is to support the sharing of knowledge across the county and to up-skill our volunteers. Margaret Ford and Diane Newman, our Support workers from Age Concern, will soon be offering to visit Memory Cafés and work with volunteers to develop activities which are creative and cognitively stimulating.

Handbook/toolkit – A piece of Cake? How to set up a Memory Café (draft available April 11, final version June 11)

Handbook/toolkit – Memory Café Activities over 40 themed cognitively stimulating activities, which are also seasonally orientated and age appropriate (draft available April 11, final version June 11).

Cost

Membership to this Network is currently free.

DVD’s available

Coping with memory loss – a piece of cake? How Memory Cafés in Cornwall support people with dementia and family carers. More details to follow.

Living with Dementia – our voices, our choices the effects of early onset dementia and experiences of health/social care. (training/awareness raising tool- completion April 11). More details to follow.