The Memory Café at Firholm Day Centre


If you look for details via Alzheimer Scotland, you’ll find this description of our Firholm get-togethers, says Dementia Friendly Tweeddale chair Christine Drummond:

The Peebles Memory Café is a friendly, supportive meeting place for anyone affected by dementia to socialise, share stories, and enjoy a cuppa with others on a similar journey.  

Or as one of our members who is living with dementia put it,

“When you walk into that room, you know everyone there is on your side!”

The Memory Café is run entirely by volunteers who all work as a team to make it happen – welcoming everyone at the start, especially new people, engaging them in chat and introducing them to new friends: participating in all activities, preparing and serving tea, coffee and refreshments: helping them with coats and bags and wheelchairs and walkers: explaining leaflets and posters and ensuring that everyone is included.

After a chat and a cuppa for the first half hour we arrange an activity or talk – the most popular are Quizzes and Bingo, Seated Exercise with Jean to beautiful music, Arts and Crafts with Lesley, Music and singing with Bob Payne or Strumash Ukelele Orchestra, or impromptu  with Lyndal, Gill and Phil. On the more serious side we have had informative talks on a wide range of subjects – from Maree Todd MSP, Scottish Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, to a Peeblean couple’s Personal Experiences of 12 Olympic Games: and talks on a wide range of subjects and topics relevant to people living with dementia from Borders Care and Repair to Benefit Entitlements, how the CAB can help, have you heard about Walk-It! walks, Reading is Caring, the latest Innerleithen and District Amateur Operatic Society’s Show…

Music plays a large part in activities for persons living with dementia. But not everyone enjoys the same sort of music. So table games and drawing and colouring-in activities and crafts are always available. Every so often we run a “Playlist for Life” session for those who wish to make their own playlist of music for their carers to connect with them in the later stages of dementia. It is the brainchild of Sally Magnusson who, with her siblings, nursed her own mother, Mamie, to the end, and found the only way to connect with her was through songs that they all knew. https://www.playlistforlife.org.uk/

At the Memory Café we are grateful to Alzheimer Scotland, who have committed to being represented by a local Dementia Advisor at least once each month, and to SBC’s Local Area Coordination service for Older Adults, whose staff also attend very regularly. Also to young volunteers from Peebles High School who regularly enjoy an afternoon with us and learn about “dementia awareness”.

Once a month Borders Carers Centre hold a Carers Support Group session in a separate room, whilst their loved ones are doing their own thing in the Memory Café with the volunteers.

Once a week on Tuesday mornings in Firholm, the Brain Gym happens for those members living with dementia who wish to participate. It is run by trained volunteers and a professional, to provide cognitive stimulation therapy, to help and support those with the diagnosis of dementia to boost their self-esteem and self-confidence in dealing with their condition.  This is a small, closed group that meets for six sessions. New sessions with new people occur as necessary. Participants find it lots of fun and look forward to the next one.

One of our members wanted to talk with others who have dementia and so a small informal chat group now meets in his home, led by his wife, a retired teacher, who has completed the necessary dementia training. She reports that they all find this most beneficial, surprising and stimulating.