Age Positive Image Library, Centre for Ageing Better
“A Meeting Centre is a local resource, operating out of ordinary community buildings, that offers ongoing warm and friendly expert support to people and families affected by dementia. At the heart of the Meeting Centre is a social club where people meet to have fun, talk to others and get help that focusses on individual needs. Meeting Centres are based on sound research evidence on what helps people to cope well in adjusting to change.”
Professor Dawn Brooker, Association for Dementia Studies, University of Worcester
Beginning in the Netherlands more than 20 years ago, Meeting Centres have spread across Europe and the UK. The first meeting centre in Scotland, in Kirriemuir, Angus, had its official opening in 2019. There are now about 23 Meeting Centres Scotland.
Dementia Friendly Tweeddale has been awarded £10,000 by Scottish Government this year to put towards creating a Meeting Centre for Tweeddale in Peebles. We have the backing of the East of Scotland Meeting Centres Team to set this up. This is a golden opportunity for the whole community to get behind a very worthwhile project. Dementia is going to affect one in two of the population in our lifetime, either by living with dementia or by caring for someone with dementia or by both. Currently in Peebles we can speculate there are probably about 200 people with a diagnosis.
Every Meeting Centre is unique, shaped by the choices of its members and the resources of its community. However, all Meeting Centres incorporate some core features and values. These are outlined in the guide 11 Essential Features of a Meeting Centre, produced by the University of Worcester. Accumulated research evidence now shows the effectiveness of Meeting Centres in enhancing and sustaining independence and well-being for people affected by dementia.
See example (pdf)As Professor Brooker says in the above document, “Meeting Centres are local, friendly and connect people to each other and to their sense of community.” If you are a member of the Peebles Community reading this, please support this vital new project however you can.
And if you want to know more, please contact Christine Drummond, Chair of Dementia Friendly Tweeddale – chair@dementiafriendlytweeddale.org
