Chapter Freemasons remember to donate £10,000

53 Memory Cafes across Devon have benefited from a generous grant from the Provincial Grand Chapter of the HRA Masons of Devonshire, giving people with dementia and their carers ‘moments to remember’.



Memory Cafes offer practical and emotional support, information, guidance and, perhaps most importantly, the hand of friendship to people living with dementia and their carers in the local communities where they live. For many, a visit to their Memory Cafe is the only regular support they receive following a diagnosis.

The social contact and peer support gained from spending time with others who have experience of the difficult everyday reality of dementia, is invaluable.

The generous grant was received by Devon Memory Cafe Consortium, the voluntary organisation representing all Devon Memory Cafes, who distributed the funds to individual Memory Cafes enabling them to offer a unique experience to those who ‘live with dementia’ and those who care for them.



The ‘moments to remember’ included, a dementia-friendly film screening of West Side Story, a Tea Dance, a boat trip along the River Exe with a cream tea and a visit to the Royal Albert Memorial Museum to see the ‘Wild and Wondrous Region’ exhibition and to learn more about the history of Dartmoor.



Rachel Johnstone, trustee of Devon Memory Cafe Consortium, said, “We are very grateful to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Devonshire for their generous support. Their grant has given hundreds of people who benefit from attending their local memory cafe ‘moments to remember’, as well as the opportunity to engage in unique dementia-friendly activities throughout the county of Devon.”



Simon Rowe, the Grand Superintendent of the Provincial Grand Chapter of Devonshire said, “Memory Cafes, the majority of which are run solely by volunteers, make a personal difference to the lives of people affected by dementia - and this is a cause very close to the hearts of freemasons. We were delighted to be able to contribute in such a way to the work of Memory Cafes across Devon and are grateful to Devon Memory Cafe Consortium for distributing these funds in order to reach as many people affected by dementia as possible.”

There are Memory Café’s located throughout Devon and to name only a few they are in Northam, Barnstaple, Croyde, Ilfacombe, Torrington, South Molton, Winkleigh, Okehampton, Tavistock, Cullompton, Tiverton, Crediton, Plymouth, Ivybridge, South Brent, Kingsbridge, Paignton, Torquay, Bishopsteignton, Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Sidmouth, Colyton, Axminster and many more towns which can be found on the Memory Café Consortium Website.

Pictured, left to right: Simon Rowe, Rachel Johnstone, Jim Delves & Bob Munro.