The Memory Café at The Library

It is a friendly and safe place to meet with others, chat, have a tea or coffee, take a nostalgic look back at years gone by, and maybe even join in an activity or song. There are memory cards, memory boxes, and music to get the conversation flowing, as well as other games and activities.

We have a good collection of books to evoke memories of past places and times, as well as a new selection of books on dementia and details of other local services.

The Memory Café will run alongside the Information & Advice session hosted by Age Concern, so there will be someone on hand to give useful advice on other services within the local area for people living with dementia and their carers, and help with understanding what benefits are available, eligibility and how to apply for them. There are public computers in the library so if you need to access anything online you can do that when at the Memory Café.

The Memory Café will take place on the first Monday of each month, from 1.30 to 3.30 pm. There is parking at the front and side of the Library, ramp access if needed, and outdoor seating in our garden.

Thank you to our Sponsors

The key sponsor for our Memory Café is the Cleadon and District Rotary Club. Its former President, Bob Askew, is pleased to be supporting this venture and said “We think the Memory Cafe is a fantastic community support project and are very pleased and proud to be a key sponsor. We look forward to its success”. 

Other sponsors include West Boldon Residents Association, Unite and Roll-Royce Washington.  In addition, individual donors have given us over £200 towards the Memory Café. A big thank you to you all for your wonderful display of generosity

Our Dementia Friendly Initiative

Since September 2019 we have developed our Library Dementia Friendly Initiative.

We have checked that our Library is dementia friendly in its layout and signage so that it is a place where people living with dementia feel comfortable and safe.

We have offered dementia awareness sessions to our Library Volunteers, and are very pleased to say that 75% of our volunteers have become Dementia Friends.

We became a member of the South Tyneside Dementia Action Alliance to learn from the experiences of others in the borough and use this to continue to improve the service.

We have set up a Dementia Information Hub. This is a one stop shop for leaflets and promotional literature on services and support that are available in the local area for those living with or affected by dementia.

We have registered as a help point for ‘Playlist for Life’, which is a music and dementia charity.  The range of resources available in the Library help create a unique, personalised playlist for someone living with dementia.  The relevant pamphlets can be found on the Dementia Information Hub display near to reception.  The “100 Years – A Century of Song” book contains top songs from every year from 1915 to 2015” and is available with the other dementia books in the health section of the library or online.

If you how any queries or want to check anything please drop us a line at dementiafriends@thelibrary.uk.com or telephone the Library on 0191 5364368, and we will try to answer your questions.

Links

For updates & ongoing Dementia Friendly activities visit The Library’s Facebook Supporters Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/154398761925910/

For more information on dementia and support available visit the Alzheimer’s Society website https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/

A wealth of information and advice, plus step-by-step instructions on how to create a playlist which can be accessed via the Library’s computers or at home via https://www.playlistforlife.org.uk/  

The “100 Years – A Century of Song” book can be accessed via https://www.playlistforlife.org.uk/the-100-years-book/