Last week we welcomed two special visitors to our Dementia Meeting Centre groups – Dr Shirley Evans, Interim Director of the Association for Dementia Studies (ADS), and ADS Research Assistant, Jennifer Bray from the University of Worcester.
Speaking to our members in Bristol and South Gloucestershire, we heard how the Meeting Centre concept was brought over from The Netherlands; with there now being over 50 Dementia Meeting Centres across the UK! Our members fed back to Jen and Shirley, who is the UK’s leading expert on Meeting Centres, about how the sessions have been great for them and offer a much-needed resource for those living with dementia and their caregivers.
Bristol
In Bristol, the theme was 1960s Liverpool and our members enjoyed recalling artists such as Lonnie Donegan, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cilla Black and, of course, The Beatles (all of whom performed at the legendary Cavern Club!). It was great to look at some wonderful Beatles memorabilia and talk about our favourite tracks. After lunch, we enjoyed a truly magical performance from Emily at Mini Concerts as she re-created the Merseybeat sound. A lovely rendition of The Beatles song “All You Need Is Love” got everyone singing along at the end of the show – which provided a very fitting finish to a great day!
South Gloucestershire
Our South Glos members enjoyed puzzles, singing, quizzes and exercises with music – and even had the opportunity to stretch their muscles while dancing with feathers! Our late morning members engaged in an art therapy workshop where artistic talents were ignited and rediscovered. Everyone was sharing a smile and a bounce in their step as we sat down to chat about life over lunch.
A huge thank you to Shirley and Jen for their visit, and a special shout out to the fabulous folks at Mini Concerts. If you live in Bristol, South Glos., or North Somerset and are interested in joining our Dementia Meeting Centres, please get in touch or find out more here.
Bristol: 07377 199 148 / bristolmeetingcentre@aliveactivities.org
South Glos: 07377 197 893 / sglosmeetingcentre@aliveactitivities.org
North Somerset: 07423 741459 / northsomersetmeetingcentre@aliveactivities.org