Woolwell Memory Cafe
The Memory Cafe is held at the Woolwell Centre, Darklake Lane,Woolwell, Plymouth PL6 7TR between 10.30am and 12pm on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. If you or any of your family members have memory problems please come and join us.
There are 820,000 people living with dementia in the UK today, a number forecast to double within a generation. 6 years ago, Dr Geri Parlby, of Tavistock Rotary Club, set up REPoD (Rotarians easing Problems of Dementia), a joint initiative between members of various Rotary Clubs who recognised the need for increased support in the community for families affected by dementia.
Roborough Rotary Club’s first involvement was in 2011 when we collected items for Memory Boxes. Containing objects from the past, Memory Boxes can act as triggers to memory and release reminiscences, providing a wonderfully effective therapeutic tool for people with dementia.
Rotarian Bill Rucker from Roborough Rotary Club remains the holder of the REPoD prize for the highest number of donated Memory Boxes. In 2011 he managed to retrieve enough reminiscence memorabilia from his fellow Rotarians to create three new boxes that are all in use in memory cafes in the area. Both Geri and then Rotary President Jim Moulson were on hand to see some of Bill's handiwork on a visit to Roborough Rotary Club. (spot the flat iron and darning mushroom!)
Moving forward to 2014 we identified a need for a memory café in the North Plymouth Area. Memory cafes started by other Rotary groups in Plymouth had been running for some time. However none existed to the north of the city.
Two Roborough Rotarians, Caroline and David Easton, began looking at possible venues and, after much searching, the Woolwell Centre came to our rescue and provided a room for our use.
What we do.
In theory a memory cafe provides a place where any member of the public, who feels that they, or a person they know, may have a short term memory problem, can drop in without an appointment, and talk to an experienced volunteer. In practice, with most cafes, the social element overtakes the original mission statement. Peer support and social contact, without stigma, rapidly becomes the main focal point of the service.
Our Memory Caf in the Woolwell Centre provides an informal and friendly enviroment offering help, support and information for people affected by memory problems.
How do we achieve this?
The twice a month meetings (on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays) involve an initial welcome tea or coffee and a catch up chat to our visitors both participants and their carers.
A program of future events has been devised to stimulate interest. We have covered subjects such as royalty, gardening, music and hobbies such as card making etc. Games usually round off the session; these could be dominoes, a simple quiz, quoits or jigsaws.
Egg painting was on the menu for our meeting on 11th April 2015. Some beautiful colours were achieved with application and patience.
Advice and guidance was given to show how easy it is to grow your own. People were encouraged to take pots of planted basil seeds home and nurture them.
In all cases stimulation and interaction is the goal. This is done in such a way that everybody; service users, carers, and us, the helpers, have fun. If we can help people in any small way we will have achieved success.
Contact Hugh Baker about this page:
'What We Do' Main Pages:
After years of service to his community locally and internationally Ian was recognised by Rotary International Britain and Ireland with the 'Champion of Change' award for his work supporting education overseas.
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Even more pleased to be able to fund the 1000 box to be sent. LiaB is a great local organisation which has national support and helps support education in many parts of the world. For more information visit http://www.literacyboxtrust.org.uk/
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Rotary are working closely with other international organisations to eliminate polio - FOREVER - please help by donating here.
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Rotary has welcomed a new area of focus being "the environment" and here at Plymouth Roborough Rotary we have embraced this.
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Brilliant evening with Sir Joshua Reynolds AND The Plymouth Area Police Choirs. Many thanks to the St Eustachis Church and great to work with Tavistock Rotary.
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The Memory Cafe is held at the Woolwell Centre, Darklake Lane,Woolwell, Plymouth PL6 7TR between 10.30am and 12pm on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. If you or any of your family members have memory problems please come and join us.
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The RYLA program is a life changing experience for 18-28yo sponsored by business or Roborough Rotary.If you know of someone who may benefit from such a course please contact us be they from your Business or just someone you whose future could be enhanced!
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New defib machine outside the Queens Arms, Tamerton Foliot, installed with Rotary help and a lot of community input! Seen with 1st Responder Nic Browne and Ali Merchant - probably founders of Tamerton Rotary.
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Alan is a great supporter of our Club and through his employer, Walter C Parsons Funeral Directors, he regularly provides print services which means more funds go to good causes.
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Peter Norton became President and was welcomed by his new team. He then set about increasing it by welcoming two new members Eliza and David Carver-Trotter. Sandra Dineley-Jones - was great to see you there from Yelverton Rotary
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Excellent evening supported by Tesco Roborough. Local Guides singalong. Song and Dance from SJ Productions. Dartmoor Border Morrismen got us all engaged on the floor. As well as a great draw and quiz!
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The rotary year runs from July to July - and so far this year (other than being of service) we have made donations to so many orgnaisations.
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So really great to see the 800 and 1000 box be sent with funding from our Club. This has helped and promoted the education of more than 25000 students in many places around the world. http://literacyboxtrust.org.uk/
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President Hug and Inner member Wheel Bridget attended at day at Skipton Building Society to engage with and discuss how we support via our Memory Cafe and work with 'Walk Talk n Tea' group.
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In support of Tamerton Rotary to show support for the Purple4Polio campaign to eliminate Polio worldwide.
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The members of Roborough Rotary Club will be happy to welcome anyone interested in discovering more about Rotary in Plymouth.
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Photos and details of our clubs' recent efforts in planting crocus corns as part of the Rotary End Polio awareness campaign.
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Purple4Polio - Ark Project Widewell - Crocuses Bloom Each contributing in showing support and spreading the word!
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Lisa gave a great breakdown of what they do for their local community and we hope to do more with them in the future.https://www.honicknowle-commnet-ltd.co.uk/our-projects
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Members of Widewell Primary School"™s Student Council Roborough Rotary Club how they are going to develop their own garden by the school"™s main door.
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