Dementia Clubs and Cafes across South Lanarkshire
There are several Dementia Clubs and Cafes across South Lanarkshire that provide valuable support for those living with Dementia and their families
1. Memory Café – The Village Centre – East Kilbride
The Memory Café was set up to support people with Dementia and their family and carers. It offers advice, support, referrals to other support groups that they know off and they also organise different speakers on various topics of which may be of interest and beneficial to the attendees. It’s a joint venture between East Kilbride Carers Group and Alzheimers Scotland.
It meets in the Village Centre, East Kilbride which was established in order to create a centre for the community that promotes inclusion and provides a home for a range of services that meet the needs of local and vulnerable people. You can find the centre in East Kilbride Village.
2. Memory Tea Room – Gillmore and Whitehill Parish Church - Hamilton
The Memory Group meet on the last Thursday of every month from 1-00pm to 3-00pm at the church, which is situated in Burnbank on the west side of Hamilton near the Hamilton Accies Football Club.
As people get older they can find memory loss becomes a problem. Its normal for your memory to be affected by age, stress, tiredness or certain illnesses or medication. One in three people over 65 will develop dementia.
3. Memory Café – Eastcroft Gardens – Rutherglen
This is an informal drop-in café for individuals who are worried about their memory, living with Dementia or are a family member or carer of someone who has Dementia. There is also an opportunity to meet new people in the area and speak to the local Dementia expert. This group meets on the last Tuesday of every month from 1-00pm to 3-00pm at Eastcroft Gardens, which is just along from Rutherglen Town Hall on the main street.
4. Memory Club – Trinity Church – Strathaven
One of the most important skills in working with people with Dementia is being able to build meaningful relationships. This means being able to demonstrate a human warmth and empathy towards the person with Dementia. Just because a person has Dementia it doesn’t mean that they cannot do things for themselves, individuals can still make decisions and maintain a degree of independence.
If you or a loved one are experiencing issues with memory loss why not go along to the Memory Club and enjoy some activities, chat or a tea or coffee. They meet at Trinty Church in the centre of Strathaven on a Wednesday from 1-30pm to 3-00pm.
5. Jubilee Club – Lifestyles Centre – Stonehouse
The club offers a social afternoon in a supportive setting. Each week they provide a variety of activities and fun, from reminiscence quizzes to musical entertainment. Research has shown that a part of the brain can store words and music in the long-term memory. Also music, in particular singalongs, creates a feel good factor and is a focus of the group due to the link between music and memory.
The Stonehouse Jubilee were 2018 winners of Scotland’s Dementia Awards for Best Dementia Friendly Community Initiative. They meet every Thursday afternoon at the Lifestyle Centre in Stonehouse.
6. Dementia Group - St. Andrews Church – Carluke
St. Andrews Church offer a warm welcome to everyone who attends one of their groups and support individuals to live as well as possible for as long as possible. They have three different support groups running each week and these are :
Chat and Care on a Tuesday at 11-30 to 2-00pm which is general group that get together for chat and support each other and make new friends. Lunch is also provided around 12-45pm.
Heart for Art on a Thursday at 11-00am to 1-00pm which is an art class for people living with Dementia, run by a professional artist who supplies the materials and support. No experience of painting is necessary.
Walk and Talk on a Friday at 1-00pm to 3-00pm which is a short dementia friendly health walk followed by a chat over a cuppa.
Dementia Alzheimer Group – Memorial Hall – Lanark
DAG’s Lanark are a friendly and welcoming support group for people with Dementia and their carers. They meet in the Memorial Hall, in Lanark Town Centre every 2nd Tuesday from 1-00pm to 3-00pm.
The group provide a light lunch followed by various fun activities, including sing-a-long sessions. They occasionally organise outings, lunches, afternoon teas and concerts at the Memorial Hall. The Memorial Hall is at the top of Lanark High Street, on St Leonard Street.
8. Dementia Groups – Gillespie Centre – Biggar
There are two Dementia support groups run out of the Gillespie Centre in Biggar.
Dementia Friendly Lunch Group on a Tuesday 12-00pm to 1-30pm which is an informal drop in café for people who are living with Dementia and family members or carers. There are usually expert Dementia advisors, who are usually the local Community Psychiatric Nurses.
The other group, Friendship and Fun, meets on a Friday at 2-00pm to 4-00pm and has a range of interesting and fun activities for the attendees to enjoy. The Gillespie Centre is run by the local Kirk who run a café there Monday to Saturday and provide facilities to local groups. Its is located in the centre of Biggar on the High Street.
