New Didsbury dementia café welcomes first guests

Hosted by Belong Morris Feinmann, the dementia specialist primarily caring for the Jewish community, B’s Café gives guests the opportunity to enjoy a range of experiences while accessing support and forming new friendships at the regular sessions. The programme includes arts and crafts workshops, pet therapy, specialist exercise classes and visits from musical performers.

Also on hand are Belong Admiral Nurses (a dedicated dementia nurse service available through the organisation’s partnership with charity Dementia UK), offering advice and the confidence to help individuals and their loved ones manage a future living with dementia. Angela Luckett, Religious and Cultural Coordinator at Belong Morris Feinman, explained more about the new venture: “Dementia affects not only the person liv ing with it but also their family and friends, who are often their carers too. We understand the challenges they can face, sometimes on their own, and that’s why we’ve launched B’s Café, to give a helping hand and a support network, which we know is vitally important to have.”

The dementia café is open to everyone, in cluding non-residents. Speaking of the

B’s Café

inaugural gathering, one guest said: “My husband is living with dementia and he was fully engaged, saying how marvellous the afternoon was – to hear him say this aloud means so much to me.”

Angela continued: “B’s Café is named after our inspirational colleague Belinda Jones, who is sadly no longer with us after losing a two-year battle with cancer. She helped shape our values, including being compas sionate, and this extends outside our village to the wider community. Her legacy lives on and we know how much something like this would mean to her and her family.” takes place at Belong Morris Feinmann, Palatine Road, Didsbury, Manchester M20 2UW. For more information or to book a place at the next session, contact Angela Luckett by calling 0161 804 4200.