2022 Newsletter

2022 Round-Up
Newsletter
A look back on
our year in 2022
supporting
individuals
with dementia!
Our Monday's Moments
Cafe Turns One Years Old!
Happy 1st Birthday to Our
Lovely Memory Café!
Today 'The Monday
Moments' have been going
for a whole year!
Memory Matters goes to
watch Carole King!
The performance was absolutely
amazing and everyone enjoyed the show!
Thank you all to the lovely
beneficiaries and carers that
take part in the café every
week! We would also like to
thank all the hardworking
volunteers that run our
memory café - we couldn't
have done it without you all.

JANUARY 2022
Welcome to our New
Time to Shiner, Shania!
Last year, the lovely Shania joined Memory Matters
as a full-time member of staff, thanks to The Rank
Foundation's Time to Shine Programme.
Some of you may already recognise Shania, as she
has spent the past couple of years working at
Moments Café and 2021 as our Dementia
Development Officer.
She said: "I am really excited to be part of the Time to
Shine programme because I will be able to connect
with different organisations whilst still working for
Memory Matters."
As our Dementia Development Officer, Shania will be
working closely with our team in Cornwall. We are so
lucky to have Shania onboard, as she brings a fresh
energy, enthusiasm and lots of knowledge.
Helping Someone with
Dementia to Stay
Mentally Active
Memory Matters have spent the last ten years
working with people living with dementia on
keeping mentally active.
There is definitely something in the idea of
‘use it or lose it’ and Cognitive Stimulation
Therapy (CST) has been proven to be as
effective as any of the dementia drugs
currently available.
Whilst we are doing all we can to keep our
sessions available online, we are aware that
the online sessions don’t suit everyone.
Therefore, Laura has put together a quick
video that outlines the key principles to follow
when helping someone living with dementia
to stay mentally active whilst staying at
home.
01752 219 810 | moments@memorymatters.org.uk |
@momentsplym

FEBRUARY 2022
Getting Good Life Balance
Whilst Staying at Home
Laura Walker, joint CEO and Co-Founder of Memory
Matters, said: "It is important that our days are
balanced to maintain our health and it may be that
we need to work a little harder to organise this
balance when we are staying at home.
"I expect we have all experienced how life feels when
it’s completely out of balance. Anyone who has ever
been on an extended holiday will know constant
leisure can leave us craving to do some work, or when
we have had to work long days for an extended
amount of time we crave for leisure and rest.
Ideally, we should look to have an equal share of the
four types of activity during our waking day. All of the
categories, of course, overlap a little eg. Cooking for
one person will mean work, for another who loves to
create in the kitchen; leisure and for another who sees
food as medicine, it will be self-care."
Virtual Coffee Mornings
at Memory Matters
A great chance to make some new friends or
meet old friends and connect online. These
virtual coffee mornings are run by Fotonow
CIC and they're supported by Moments Café.
This is a great opportunity for older residents
of Plymouth to come together every Monday
to discuss old photos of Plymouth as well as
sharing your own stories. Bring your own
coffee, tea and cake!
These sessions take place every Monday
between 10.30am - 12pm. Family members
and carers are welcome. The virtual coffee
morning will be run online via Zoom.
01752 219 810 | moments@memorymatters.org.uk |
@momentsplym

MARCH 2022
Clare Celebrates 100th
Birthday on Memory
Matters Zoom
On Saturday 13th March, Clare, one of our
lovely beneficiaries from Cornwall,
celebrated her 100th birthday. The local
church bells chimed 100 times in her honour
and she received a special birthday card
from the Queen.
During our online CST session on Monday,
we focused on birthday celebrations and we
asked the group “what things do we need to
make a party go with a swing”. Their
answers included things such as a bit of
bubbly, sausage rolls, party hats, music and
not forgetting the most important thing of
all…birthday cake!
Young Onset Dementia
Information and
Resources
1. Research opportunity for younger people with a
diagnosis
The DEFIN-YD project is looking for younger people
with dementia living in England (people diagnosed
before the age of 65) who are interested in shaping
current and future research to join a project about
research.
2. Rari-tea - rarer types of dementia webinar -
Wednesday 21 April
Wednesday 21 April, 2.30-3.30pm will be the latest
in a series of young onset dementia webinars from
the YoungDementia Network, Rari-tea - explaining
rarer types of dementia experienced by younger
people.This webinar will focus on rare types of
dementia which predominantly affect younger
people.
01752 219 810 | moments@memorymatters.org.uk |
@momentsplym

MARCH 2022
3. Being honest about young onset dementia by
Jane Robinson
Jane's husband was diagnosed with young onset
dementia three years ago at the age of 58. She says
her first instinct was to 'run and hide' and she only
told a few of her closest friends about his diagnosis.
But in the years that followed, Jane has come to
realise that being open and honest about Ash's
dementia makes things easier for both of them.
Jane says that by raising awareness and making
others feel more comfortable, we can make all the
difference not only to us but to others in the future.
4. Pippa Kelly podcast featuring Peter Berry, living
with young onset
Journalist Pippa Kelly has recently launched her
fourth series of dementia themed podcasts with an
interview with Peter Berry who was diagnosed with
dementia aged 50.
Peter was interviewed alongside his great friend and
cycling buddy, Deb Bunt. In the interview Peter says, 'I
live every day; I enjoy every day even if I might forget
it moments later. They say you only live once, but
that’s rubbish: you only die once. You live every day.
And that’s what I fully intend to do.'
Virtual Coffee Mornings
with FotoNow CIC
A great chance to make some new
friends or meet old friends and connect
online. These virtual coffee mornings
are run by Fotonow CIC and they're
supported by Moments Café.
This is a great opportunity for older
residents of Plymouth to come together
every Monday to discuss old photos of
Plymouth as well as sharing your own
stories. Bring your own coffee, tea and
cake!
01752 219 810 | moments@memorymatters.org.uk |
@momentsplym

APRIL 2022
Engage Central - Lunch
& Learn
Our brand new Project "Engage Central" is funded
by the Rank Foundation, and is based around
combating Social Isolation and Loneliness.
The project has made an amazing start with
Amped Music Therapy beginning their FREE
monthly sessions for people living with dementia
and their carers!!
Within our Engage Central Project, we are looking
to connect our community with individuals and
organisations who help and support people to
combat loneliness and social isolation.
Affordable
These are just a few different types of loneliness,
and all of these can be linked back to Social
Loneliness at some point or another. And all of
them can lead to Chronic Loneliness, and this is
what we are all coming together to achieve:
bringing individuals together so they can avoid
getting to a crisis point.
Community Space
We offer our space to hire at an affordable
price and we want your help to develop our
Memory Matters Hub within the
community, and make sure that our space
we have to offer is used by the community,
for what the community wants and needs!
Memory Matters’ ethos is to enrich the lives
of people living with dementia, and to help
them thrive in their community; to be
visible, valued, and heard.
And by choosing to hire space in our
Memory Matters Hub, you are helping us to
achieve this.
01752 219 810 | moments@memorymatters.org.uk |
@momentsplym

MAY 2022
Laura Steps Down As
Joint CEO And Director
After 12 years of being a duo, Laura Walker is
leaving her role as Joint CEO and Director of
Memory Matters.
Laura says "It has been an amazing 12 years. I
am so proud to have taken the idea that we
might be able to create something meaningful
for people living with dementia, and co-create
what Memory Matters is today with my
amazing sister-in-law Kate and a team of
quite extraordinary individuals. Although I am
sad to not be seeing everyone daily, I am
excited to see the continued progress of
Memory Matters with Kate at the helm."
Laura will be finishing at the end of July 2022 but will still be a part of Memory Matters as an external trainer.
Laura will be passing her part of the baton onto Kate Smith who will become the sole CEO of Memory Matters.
Mild Cognitive Impairment
Groups are Coming to
Plymouth!
Memory Matters have spent the last ten years
working with people living with dementia on
keeping mentally active.
There is definitely something in the idea of ‘use it or
lose it’ and Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST)
has been proven to be as effective as any of the
dementia drugs currently available.
Whilst we are doing all we can to keep our sessions
available online, we are aware that the online
sessions don’t suit everyone. Therefore, Laura has
put together a quick video that outlines the key
principles to follow when helping someone living
with dementia to stay mentally active whilst
staying at home.
01752 219 810 | moments@memorymatters.org.uk |
@momentsplym

JUNE 2022
Memory Matters Turns 12!
Happy Birthday Memory
Matters
There are many interesting facts about
the number 12:
- There are 12 months in a year.
- There are 12 hours in face of analogue
clock.
- There are 12 inches in a foot.
- A dozen is a quantity that means
twelve.
- A gross is twelve dozen.
- In astrology, there are 12 signs in the
Zodiac.
- Twelve men have walked on the Earth’s
moon.
- Memory Matters is 12 years old today!
Community Dementia Pathway
Memory Matters have partnered up
with Age UK Plymouth to build a
Community Dementia Pathway . The
pathway has been built around the
different services each organisation
provides depending on people's level
of dementia.
The pathway starts from the
Information and Advice that we
provide in Moments Café and Memory
Matters Hub for free and ends at the
Dementia Day Service with Age UK
Plymouth.
If you would like to find out anymore
information about the Community
Dementia Pathway then please
contact Shania below.
01752 243 333 or
shania@memorymatters.org.uk
01752 219 810 | moments@memorymatters.org.uk |
@momentsplym

JULY 2022
Engage Central: Combatting
Loneliness & Isolation
Our FREE lottery-funded groups are for people
living with mild to moderate dementia
(including people awaiting a diagnosis) who
would like to get involved in activities that
stimulate the brain.
The groups are run in the Memory Matters
Hub above Moments Café for 2 hours a week
for 15 weeks.
If you or someone you know would like to get
involved with the group that is starting in
September then please contact Shania on
shania@memorymatters.org.uk or 01752 243
333.
Only Connect Conference
Dan Cocker for our team in Cornwall was
given the opportunity to present at the Only
Connect Conference in Falmouth University
this week!
The Only Connect Conference is an
international community which looks at the
benefits of creative, intergenerational and
inclusive practice and research.
Dan and Lauren from The Royal Cornwall
Museum was asked to present on the CST
project we ran in the Royal Cornwall
Museum.
If you would like to see the evaluation of the
project please contact Dan on
dan@memorymatters.org.uk.
01752 219 810 | moments@memorymatters.org.uk |
@momentsplym

AUGUST 2022
Meet Debbie Bending our
Dementia Pathfinder
We are very pleased to welcome Debbie Bending who will
be working in our information Hub on Wednesdays and
Thursdays, 10am - 4pm as a Dementia Pathfinder.
Debbie will be available to provide information and
support around Dementia to anyone contacting the hub on
those days.
Finding your way around systems or finding the services
that you need can at times be difficult so Debbie will be
able to help with this and answer questions that you
may have.
Debbie will be working closely with Cyana our Dementia
Advisor who already covers the information hub on
Mondays and Tuesdays.
Debbie may already be known to many as she volunteers
in our Memory Café " Mondays Moments" on Mondays.
Welcome to The Memory Matters Team Debbie!
Engage Central:
Upcoming Events
Sensory Walk (2nd September) - Calling all nature
lovers! In our upcoming Sensory Walk, we're off to
Saltram House to have a lovely time wandering
about the grounds! Make sure to grab your friends,
your cameras and book your place now!
Hate Crime (13th September) - The Devon and
Cornwall police are running this session with the
aim to teach attendees how, when and where to
report hate crime. Third party reporting training is
also included for those who are not comfortable
reporting directly to the police.
If you or anyone you know would be interested in
joining any of these events then please get in touch
at moments@memorymatters.org.uk or call 01752
219 810.
01752 219 810 | moments@memorymatters.org.uk |
@momentsplym

SEPTEMBER 2022
Cafe News: We Say Goodbye
to our Cafe Manager Emma
Emma had been with us from the inception of
Moments and gave her all to ensure the continued
success of Moments.
We wish to thank Emma for all her support and hard
work and all the luck in the world in her next
adventures.
Emma sent a message to all the café and hub
customers over the years:
“I wanted to reach out to you all and thank you for all
that you do, and all that you will continue to do for the
benefit of the community, and the support that you
have shown Moments Cafe and Memory Matters Hub
to get where it is today."
What goes on in the CST
groups in Cornwall?
So, this week the topic was Autumn.
We looked at autumn scenes, leaves and fruits before
having a discussion about the senses in autumn
(what we see, smell, hear, taste and feel). We used the
observations made through the discussion to create a
poem about Autumn in each group.
The groups we run in Cornwall are:
Monday: Liskeard 10am-12pm and 1:30pm-3:30pm (at
Passmore Edwards Court).
Wednesday: Wadebridge 10am-12pm (at the
Betjeman Centre) and 1:30pm-3:30pm (at the Goods
Shed).
Thursday: St Austell 10am-12pm and 1:30pm-3:30pm
(at Bridge 49)
Friday: Newquay 10am-12pm (Govenek, Age UK).
01752 219 810 | moments@memorymatters.org.uk |
@momentsplym

OCTOBER 2022
Our Monday's Moments
Cafe Turns One Years Old!
Happy 1st Birthday to Our Lovely Memory
Café!
Today 'The Monday Moments' have been
going for a whole year!
Read what some of the beneficiaries said
they loved about coming to the Memory Cafe:
"Our lovely volunteers who make us laugh,
feeling very welcome, Nicki's cakes and
feeling like we aren't alone!"
Thank you all to the lovely beneficiaries and
carers that take part in the café every week!
We would also like to thank all the
hardworking volunteers that run our memory
café - we couldn't have done it without you
all.
Cognitive Stimulation
Therapy in Plymouth!
If you are living with mild to moderate dementia
in Plymouth and you would like to have as
much as fun as they are in this picture, then
please get in touch.
We hold regular Cognitive Stimulation Therapy
Groups in Moments Café and Memory Matters
Hub for people living with early stage dementia.
These sessions are FREE as they are funded by
the National Lottery Community Fund!
CST is a proven group therapy that reduces the
progression and improves their quality of life
and the most important thing is to have fun!!
Contact us to find out more how you can
benefit from being involved.
01752 219 810 | moments@memorymatters.org.uk |
@momentsplym

NOVEMBER 2022
Upcoming Event
On 17th January, Memory Matters will be
attending the Social Isolation Forum at the
Plymouth Argyle Football Club! ☺
We will be available all day to speak to
anyone who is looking to find out more about
who we are, what we do, the activities we
offer and how we can support you
Anyone can come to the event regardless of
whether you personally have dementia or not,
and we even recommend anyone of any age
to come so that we can answer any questions
you may have about dementia and how we
can all help to support our communities!
Other organisations will be attending the
event alongside us so you can also see what
other services are available around
Plymouth!
Roast Dinner is now
available at Moments Cafe!
Every Wednesday through to Saturday in December,
we will be serving Roast Dinner.
There are four options to choose between depending
on what suits you, and as always there are Vegetarian,
Vegan and Gluten-Free options available!
We will be serving the Roast Dinner between 12pm
-3:30pm and all will be subject to availability if they
are not pre ordered and booked in It is advisable to
book because of high demand and we can then
guarantee reservations.
We look forward to seeing you soon!!
01752 219 810 | moments@memorymatters.org.uk |
@momentsplym

DECEMBER 2022
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy comes to
an end for 2022!
We have come to our last group of Cognitive
Stimulation Therapy (CST) in Plymouth! These
groups have been running for 15 weeks and
have now unfortunately come to an end.
We ended with a Christmas Celebration whilst
trying on different hats that we liked and talked
about where you might find some of the hats or
on what occasion you might wear them.
Everybody enjoyed the celebrations and of
course we had some mince pies and cream, it
would be rude not to, it is Christmas!
Everyone has the opportunity to move onto Age UK
Plymouth for another round of CST and Music for
the Memory.
Read what a beneficiary said about the current
groups: 'I am really sad that the groups are coming
to an end as I have really enjoyed coming along to
the group, I look forward to it all week and have
truly made some friends for life'
We have another round of Cognitive Stimulation
Therapy starting in January 2023 and I am really
excited for more people living with mild to
moderate dementia to have access to CST in
Plymouth!
01752 219 810 | moments@memorymatters.org.uk |
@momentsplym

DECEMBER 2022
The Theatre Royal Take
Us to See the Christmas
Pantomine!
Last night, the Theatre Royal Plymouth put on
a fantastic pantomime and invited some of us
to come along and watch!
The show was absolutely amazing and
everyone had a brilliant laugh.
We want to thank the Theatre Royal Plymouth
for hosting us and giving us a wonderful time.
It was lovely to see everyone smiling and
enjoying themselves at a time where many of
us do want to spend more time with loved
ones!
A Message From Us!
Happy New Year everyone!!
2022 was another amazing year but now it is time
for that chapter to close and to bring in the new.
When we first opened Memory Matters and
Moments Cafe, we received a lot of help and
support from many individuals and companies,
which we will forever be grateful for!
Through our work, we've had the opportunity to
meet, work and collaborate with so many amazing
and talented individuals, who we're always so
appreciative of.
As we always say, we couldn't do any of this
without you!
So, on that note, happy 2023! We wish everyone a
great, fulfilling year.
01752 219 810 | moments@memorymatters.org.uk |
@momentsplym