New dementia cafe for Princes Risborough

Ashridge Home Care recently scooped ‘Best in Chiltern and South Bucks Districts’ at the annual Bucks Business First awards.

The cafe is set to open next month in partnership with the Princes Centre, a local charity and the local Methodist Church.

The initiative also has the support and backing of Princes Risborough Rotary Club.

People are invited to take part in an initial meet up this Friday at 10.00am at The Methodist Church on Wycombe Road, for free.

With over 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, and numbers set to rise to over 1 million by 2025 (source Alzheimer’s Society), Trudi is hoping many local people will want to get involved.

Trudi said: “Dementia affects us all. Many of us worry about saying the wrong thing to someone with dementia, even when it’s a loved one. Yet a friendly face

or a ‘listening ear’ can really make a world of difference.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting local people and members of the church on Friday, to talk about the new café, and to learn about their own experiences of dementia, so we can all try and put ourselves in the shoes of someone living with the condition, and together, find a way to turn our thoughts and understanding into action at our regular café meetings.”

Mrs K, of Stoke Mandeville, an attendee of a recent dementia awareness meet-up commented: "The friendly and informative session really helped our family understand Mum and meeting other people in our situation also helped explore the challenges we all face every day.”

The Dementia Café will be a joint initiative between AHC, the Princes Centre Charity, with the support and involvement of the Methodist Church and will be a facility for the whole community.

Trudi added: “This is just the start of the overall aim to make Princes Risborough a dementia-friendly community.”