SURREY CARE HOME CREATES SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY HUB WITH DEMENTIA MEMORY CAFÉ

Surrey care home creates supportive community hub with Dementia Memory Café. The maritime charity, The Royal Alfred Seafarer’s Society, is celebrating the success of its monthly Memory Café held at Belvedere House, it’s specialist care home. The initiative has quickly become a vital community hub for those affected by dementia.

Held on the first Friday of every month, the Memory café offers a safe and welcoming space where people living with dementia and their carers can connect, share stories, and access vital support. The café is run in collaboration with Surrey Downs Dementia Care and provides full care during each session, which allows attendees to enjoy coffee, conversation, and engaging activities without worry.

Liz Ford, a tenant at the sheltered housing and volunteer at the Memory Café, emphasises the café’s importance: “I know first-hand that living with and caring for someone with dementia can be both challenging and emotionally exhausting, as caregivers often provide the same support day after day. At times, they may face difficult behaviours without understanding or resolution. The Memory Café helps address these challenges by providing a welcoming environment where carers can feel supported, knowing their loved ones are encouraged, engaged, and cared for by both professional staff and fellow caregivers.”

Captain David Dominy MA rcds, CEO of the Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society, added:

“At the Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society, we are proud to offer the Memory Café as a safe, welcoming space for those living with dementia and their caregivers. This initiative has quickly become a cornerstone of our community, providing much-needed connection, support, and joy to over 20 attendees each month. By focusing on companionship, creative stimulation, and practical resources, the Memory Café offers a uniquely compassionate approach to care, one that goes beyond clinical settings to truly meet people where they are.”

The Memory Café encourages inclusivity, companionship, and mental well-being. Through music, art, and social interaction, the sessions are designed not only to inform and support, but also uplift, creating joyful, stimulating experiences that can improve mood and cognitive function.

With an aging population and rising dementia rates, the Memory Café represents a meaningful response to a growing need, offering empathy, respite, and real community to those it serves.

The success of the initiative has prompted the Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society to explore expanding the concept to other local communities, aiming to provide the same level of compassionate care to more families facing dementia.

For more information visit the Society’s website or Facebook page.