A community cafe for people living with dementia has been set up to help them make new friends and keep their brains busy with some fun.

The Dementia Friendly Memory Cafe at St Edmund’s Church in Temple Hill, Dartford, will bring together those with the illness, as well as people struggling to cope with the pressure of caring for a loved one.

Bluebird Care awarded a £500 grant to help pay for the scheme, with the money also going towards the hire of a minibus to take people without access to transport to and from the cafe.

The cafe will be run by the Anna Chaplains of the Diocese of Rochester, who are all Dementia Friends and Dementia Champions, as well as friends and family of the service users and local volunteers with a passion for supporting those in need.

John Tootell is an Anna Chaplin and Dementia Champion and applied for the grant because he wanted to help put the fun back into the lives of people living with dementia.

“The grant will be spent on purchasing a variety of tabletop games as well as organising and promoting the monthly events in the local community,” he said.

“As with the rest of your body, it is important to keep your brain fit. Board games take people living with dementia back to their childhood and it is also a way of focusing on something that is strategic, or keeping your brain active, which can help to slow the progression of dementia.”

Care manager at Bluebird Care, Siobhan Gourney, presented the grant. Also in attendance was Cllr David Mote (Con).

The cafe will be held monthly at the church and more information is available from the Healthy Living Centre on 01322 311 265. You can also pop into the church, or email Mr Tootell at john_tootell@hotmail.com.

If you run or know of another local scheme that could benefit from extra funding, the Bluebird Care Community Grant Scheme awards £500 in April, July, and October.

To apply, or for more information, visit bluebirdcare.co.uk/gravesham-dartford/news/community-grant-scheme.