Dementia Friendly Community Events in Warm Spaces

Who are we?

Know Dementia is a small Registered Charity based in West Sussex which provides weekly Memory Moments Cafés, Woodland Moments, Sporting Moments and a Musical Moments Choir (Brainwaves), across the whole of Sussex.  

All our events are called "Moments" as we aim to create special moments for our attendees and their care partners as they deal with the issues brought on by conditions which affect memory, such as dementia.  

We use music, dancing, games, crafts, quizzes and, of course, tea and cake, to bring fun and laughter and a sense of community to all our events.

More recently we have seen an increase in the use of our Cafés as "Warm Rooms" which we encourage, especially for those needing to be more socially engaged.

Our Woodland Moments sessions give people the opportunity to be in the great outdoors, engage with nature, learn woodcraft and conservation skills and enjoy the companionship of others. This special place gives people the feeling of wellbeing, calm and tranquillity.

Community impact

The Charity has been working with families and groups for over 10 years, helping all we meet to understand the issues connected with memory loss, either sudden or gradual, associated with neurological conditions such as dementia.

The impact of our Cafés and other events has shown how people with memory issues can still participate positively in society.  It also demonstrates how important the get togethers are for the families who then form long term bonds with others in similar situations, thus sharing worries and concerns, and becoming aware that they are not alone.

The recent economic crisis has also shown the need for safe and warm places which allow people to gather and "forget their woes for a short time" and enjoy a warm place with fellow carers.

In addition, helping organisations to build better practices when engaging with people affected by memory issues, especially in the community, has always been a major priority for us.  For example, this emphasis has been especially important in supporting first responders, doctors, medical practices, fire services, police, as well as shops and services in the local areas throughout Sussex.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Three main reasons are driving our Crowdfunding endeavours:

1. Our desire to provide more spaces for more attendees in our current locations

2. To expand the number of events we run each week in different places and

3. To boost the Charity's ability to meet the increasing needs of our clients.  These resources have come under increasing pressure due to higher inflation and increasing costs in venue hire, staff & travel expenses, entertainment, heating, refreshments etc.

How we’ll spend the money raised

In order to expand the services we offer, we need to:

• Increase our marketing to reach more potential attendees
  
  
• Buy more equipment (e.g. sporting and musical instruments) for each new and existing event
  
  
• Cover the rapidly increasing costs of our current venues - especially energy
  
  
• Increase the number of locations we use
  
  
• Cover the increasing costs of staff and entertainers
  
  
• Meet the increasing costs of travel