Sir Oliver Dowden CBE, MP for Hertsmere, recently visited the Memory Café in Radlett.
The charity, which offers social gatherings for people experiencing memory loss and those who care for them, welcomed the MP at Radlett Reform Synagogue on Friday, March 28.
RADLETTnews spoke with Nick Harrall, who founded the group a year ago.
The free café opened after Nick met the local Rabbi and Vicar, who wanted to host a regular event to serve the community. The café is hosted once every two weeks, alternating between the synagogue and Christ Church & St John’s.
Nick said: “Both those with memory loss and those who care for them are welcome at the café. We offer tea, coffee, and sometimes entertainment from the Rabbi or Vicar on the guitar! The café offers the carer some respite and the person living with memory loss an opportunity to get out of the house and socialise with the community.
“Sir Oliver MP was very understanding of the situation – we’ve had lots of cutbacks and there are not really sufficient channels to support people living with dementia or their carers. I think the café is a great service to the community and free to access.”
He hopes if the number of people attending rose from 20 to 40, they would be able to justify running the café weekly, rather than fortnightly.
Nick added: “There is no great vision; it is just an opportunity to get out of the house and have a chat. Everyone there understands the condition, and we don’t separate the carers and suffers – everyone speaks to each other.”
To find out more, please call 01727 895941 or visit www.christchurchstjohns.org.uk/whats-on
Photo credit: Sir Oliver Dowden CBE MP
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