Dementia-friendly matinees

The second instalment in our series sharing our community initiatives

As we mentioned in our last blog post, we’re actively involved in our local community and one of the things we’ve been particularly excited about is the launch of a monthly dementia-friendly matinee, in partnership with the Everyman Cinema in Salisbury.

Our first screening took place on Tuesday 6 March, when we were delighted to see a good number of over 60s join us to watch the romantic comedy Shall We Dance? Helen, our co-owner, and Liz and Kyam from the office team were on hand to welcome the attendees, along with one of our fabulous Care Professionals, Libby. Guests were able to mingle in the bar before the showing, with tea, coffee, and cake provided by the Everyman team.

Afterwards, attendees settled down to watch the film in surroundings especially suitable for older guests, with the cinema lights left low so that guests felt comfortable moving around if needed. It was lovely to hear the laughter during the film and to hear people afterwards asking when the next one was and seeing their smiles.

Jonathan Gapper, Managing Director of Home Instead Salisbury and Romsey commented: “It’s such a pleasure to be able to sponsor such special sessions at the Everyman theatre. It’s important that we make such joys in life such as going to the cinema, accessible to all, including those living with dementia. I’m really proud to be part of this. The first event was a huge success with around 50 people coming along to enjoy an afternoon in front of the silver screen.”

Philip Bendall, Manager at the Everyman added: “Being able to host such special matinees in our cinema is a real pleasure, it’s great to see so many local people come and enjoy a great film, a hot beverage and the company of others. We look forward to the next one!”

We’re looking forward to the next screening too! It will take place on 5 March at 1 PM and this time attendees will be treated to Forest Gump. All are welcome and there is no need to pre-book, however priority will be given to those living with dementia and their families or carers. The matinees are free to attend, but donations to Silver Salisbury, a local charity we work closely with, are welcome. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for details of all our upcoming events. We hope to see you there!