Every Tuesday morning in Islington, a warm and welcoming space opens its doors to a wide range of local residents from the independent elderly, carers, those living with memory loss and mobility challenges, and those with physical or mental issues
Funded and supported for the next three years by the Islington Giving Carers Panel, the Memory Café at Christ Church is a weekly drop-in, which provides companionship and activities to improve memory and physical and mental wellbeing in a non-judgemental environment. Carers can choose to participate alongside the person they care for or take a much-needed moment for themselves. We caught up with Sarah Hinton at Memory Café to find out more.
“The Memory Café is hugely important in the lives of our guests as, for many, it is the social focus of their week.”
“The Memory Café is hugely important in the lives of our guests as, for many, it is the social focus of their week. Isolation is major problem for the elderly, but especially those with memory loss and mental difficulties. Many attest to the fact the Café is the only place they come to where they feel part of the community, feel accepted and can chat to others and make friendships readily. This is as true for the carers, especially family members, as for their charges. The Café provides a respite from the sole responsibility of interacting with and caring for their charges and offers them the opportunity to meet other carers and receive mutual companionship and support.
“Many attest to the fact the Café is the only place they come to where they feel part of the community, feel accepted and can chat to others and make friendships readily.”
The activities we provide are all popular: The quiz is conducted in a non-competitive collaborative manner and uses questions guests are likely to know the answers to and the singing is of old favourites – tunes and songs that often outlast other memories. The centrepiece of each session is the seated yoga exercises in which nearly everyone participates – guests, carers and volunteers. The exercises are important as most of our guests would not attend a separate exercise session and there is a real fear of becoming immobile and therefore housebound. They have obvious physical benefits for people with impaired mobility and the guests really appreciate them and comment on being less stiff and more mobile after each session. They are encouraged to remember to do them at home too and many report that they do so, especially carers and their charges.
Recent highlights have been a pianist visiting from America organising musical interludes for us in the church next door, after which he accompanied us singing our old favourites. And last year we were proud to be nominated for an Islington Mayor’s Civic Award. We didn’t win but we didn’t mind as we lost out to some amazing individuals and groups, and a group of our volunteers got to meet our local councillors and the Mayor.”
