Age Well East are a charity who support and empower older people to live happy and healthy lives.
Last year, we awarded them a grant of £5,000 from our Community Cares Fund to help re-establish their pop-up dementia cafes across Colchester and Tendring after they’d closed during the pandemic. The cafes offer an opportunity for those living with dementia and their carers to meet and chat over a cuppa. This simple act of coming together after the isolation of lockdown has been a lifeline for those they support.
Jane Diplock, Operations Manager, tells us more about the impact the donation has made:
'Many older people find themselves becoming isolated. Maybe their family has moved, close friends have passed away or medical conditions make everyday activities more challenging. At Age Well East, we help to tackle this by connecting communities and supporting people through the emotional and physical challenges they face.
Unfortunately, the pandemic meant that we had to stop all face-to-face meetings, so, as soon as restrictions eased, we wanted to bring everyone together once again to share each other’s company and rebuild connections. Thanks to the funding from the East of England Co-op Community Cares Fund, we’ve been able to do just that!
When you come to one of our cafes across Colchester and Tendring, you might enjoy a few hours of friendly conversation, perhaps a game or entertainment, and a nice, hot cuppa. There’s even dancing sometimes! In this friendly atmosphere, our attendees have an opportunity to share their experiences and feelings with others who understand what they’re going through. Our specialist team can also signpost them to tailored support for things like finances or transport if they need it. Many of our attendees go on to form friendships with others, providing a vital support network which helps them to overcome isolation and avoid a crisis in the future.’
The support of our members and customers has made this powerful, life-changing work possible. Thanks to you, older people and their carers are regaining confidence and reconnecting with their local communities.
Find out more about all our Community Cares Fund grant winners here, or discover how we can make your community project happen.