FOLLOWING the recent closure of the Crediton Station Tea Rooms, this has resulted in the suspension of the Memory Cafe which ran there for three sessions a week.

The loss of the venue for the Memory Cafe has had a huge impact on those people living with dementia in our local community and the family members and carers who attended the sessions with them.

At a recent emergency meeting of the Crediton Dementia Action Alliance it was agreed that we would endeavour to provide a temporary Memory Cafe in order to keep the group going until permanent arrangements can be put in place.

Currently we have been offered temporary accommodation for one session per week in Crediton.

The CDAA will provide the funding required to cover costs from its own reserves.

Currently we are contacting clients who attended the Memory Cafe to consult with them about the proposed new arrangements.

Some offers of help from volunteers to run the sessions have been received, but more would be welcome from people who may have a couple of hours to spare during the week.

Awareness training and guidance will be provided by members of CDAA, and we are also looking to recruit new volunteers to join the committee.

If you have personal experience of/or an interest in dementia as a relative, carer, trained professional or are a person living with dementia who would like to join the committee, then please leave your contact details with the Manager at the Crediton Coffee Company (where the CDAA currently holds its meetings), then a member of the CDAA will contact you.

Carole Webb

Chairman CDAA