The Mayor of Lambeth Visits our Tulip Café this Christmas
The Mayor of Lambeth visited our Tulip Café to see how our dementia-friendly social club tackles loneliness and supports older people in Wandsworth & Lambeth.
This Christmas, the Tulip Café welcomed a special guest, Mr Adrian White, Mayor of Lambeth, to our Over-65s Social Club and Dementia Café. He came to experience the welcoming, compassionate community that has been carefully nurtured here, where ageing is respected, dementia is understood, and everyone is treated with dignity.
Surrounded by caregivers, older adults, and people living with dementia, he witnessed moments that can only be understood by being there, at our café: the dignity, joy, and quiet resilience that emerge when people are given a space where they are truly seen and valued. On this special day, our members were engaged in a poetry session with Norma, sharing their voices through their own creative expressions.
What the Mayor Discovered
The Mayor entered our Over-65s Social Club and Dementia Café to find it exactly as it should be: a place where loneliness has no place, where people living with dementia can be fully themselves, and where carers find the understanding and support that sustains them. The conversations, the laughter, and the sense of genuine belonging weren’t staged for his visit; this is who we are every Thursday: a community proving that isolation can be overcome.
Mr Adrian White’s presence highlighted the importance of having spaces like the Tulip Café in our community. In the UK, around 1.4 million older people experience chronic loneliness, a condition linked to a 25% increased risk of developing dementia. For those already living with dementia, social isolation can accelerate cognitive decline and diminish quality of life. Yet, at the Tulip Café, our members were composing poetry about enduring love, meaningful friendships, and the beauty of nature, as well as the connection and creativity that thrive here despite the challenges they face.
During his visit, meeting our attendees, carers, and Care Professionals, the Mayor experienced firsthand how the café provides vital support for people living with dementia. He saw individuals who might otherwise spend days without meaningful social contact sharing stories, taking part in activities, and simply being themselves in a space where their experiences are understood, accepted, and respected.
What the Tulip Café Really Does
At the Tulip Café, our Over-65s Social Club and Dementia Café is about far more than activities. As Tony O’Flaherty, our Director for Wandsworth, Lambeth & Dulwich, often says, it’s about connection, dignity, and making sure families feel supported. Welcoming Mr Adrian White, Mayor of Lambeth, gave us the chance to share this with him and highlight the vital role that community care plays in people’s lives.
We see every week how transformative these gatherings can be. Dementia cafés and social clubs provide real, measurable benefits: they help reduce the social isolation that affects both people living with dementia and their families, offer a safe environment where unconventional behaviours are met with understanding rather than judgment, and give carers the rare opportunity to relax and enjoy time with their loved ones, free from the pressures of daily caregiving.
A Dementia-Friendly Space for Everyone
Every Thursday from 11 am to 1 pm at All Saints Church in West Dulwich, the Tulip Café creates something remarkable. It is a space where being a carer or living with dementia is simply part of everyday life.
To nurture this inclusive environment, we offer a range of activities that cater to every guest. And this time, Norma led a poetry workshop where attendees created heartfelt pieces in their own words. Their poems, inspired by Christmas traditions, love, friendship, flowers, and the bonds they share at the Tulip Club, are a testament to the imagination, feeling, and relationships that flourish here
For many of our attendees, the Tulip Café provides exactly what they need. It is a place to belong, where the struggles of Monday or the worries of next week can be set aside, and having a good time together is all that matters.
Supporting Those Who Need It Most
The Mayor’s visit came at a particularly meaningful time. The Christmas season, while joyful for many, can intensify feelings of loneliness for older adults. For many older people, it can be the loneliest time of the year, with some simply hoping for a phone call on Christmas Day. For people living with dementia, these challenges can feel even more acute. The Tulip Café exists to ensure that no one in our community has to face this sense of isolation alone. Through our memory cafés, we stand with people living with dementia and their families, grounded in a fundamental truth: social connection is a necessity.
Looking Forward
As we reflect on the Mayor’s Christmas visit, we are reminded of why this work matters so deeply. Every smile shared at the Tulip Café and every friendship formed are the true impact of what we do. The challenges facing older people and those living with dementia remain,
but community responses like our cafés shows the real difference a little care and understanding can make
We were honoured to welcome Mr Adrian White to the Tulip Café and to share with him the spirit of connection and support that defines our community.
The Tulip Café meets every Thursday at All Saints Church in West Dulwich and is free to attend. Everyone over 65, along with their carers and supporters, is warmly welcome to drop in. If you or a loved one would benefit from our dementia cafés or home care services, our compassionate team at Home Instead Wandsworth, Lambeth and Dulwich is here to help. Please call us on 020 8871 0006 or visit our website to learn more about how we can support you.