Making connections that matter
Conversations. Connections. Communities.
Dementia Friendly East Lothian began in 2014 as a conversation in North Berwick between two carers sharing experiences of living with dementia, asking: ‘Why can’t every café be dementia friendly?’ We were not alone!
The experience of daily life with dementia, the importance of community, and the value of coming together to share ideas as equal partners have been the heart and soul of our work since day one. We bring people living with dementia, carers, communities, and services together, focusing on what people can do and how we can help each other live well with dementia. We’ve followed an agenda set by people with lived experience – to be with others in the same boat, to influence decisions that are important to us, and to have support and services that provide the help we need when we need it. Our focus is on the quality of our daily lives, ensuring we have people to see, things to do, and places to go – with services that help us live well and not just exist.
In the next stage of our work, we are supporting aspirations and opportunities around Brain Health across the whole lifespan-sharing inspiring, innovative projects that help us all live well with healthy bodies and brains.
Whether you are living with dementia, a carer, or curious about brain health, there are things we can do together that are life-affirming, fun, and make life better for all.
Discover inspiring people & places
East Lothian is full of inspiring and innovative people and thriving diverse communities doing remarkable things to enrich our daily lives. There’s something for everyone to enjoy from community gardens to singing groups and choirs; walking groups to intergenerational projects and Day Centres. Tell us about your project or a project that inspires you and find out what other people are doing.
Explore Ideas & Insights
We have so much to learn from each other when we share our experience and understanding. Here you can find out about people and organisations with different perspectives and evidence on dementia and brain health. We have guest bloggers, research and reports and more. If you want to make a contribution, get in touch.
Connect with Gatherings & Events
Working together and collaboration are central to how we work. Gatherings and events bring people together and the conversations we have often spark new understandings, build new relationships and are a catalyst for change. Whether hosted by us or shared by our partners and local groups across the county, this is a space to find out what’s on, get together, and share your own community events.
Get Involved
We move farther when we move together. Please share your ideas, opinions and experiences and connect with people who share an interest in Brain Health and dementia.
Colourful Connections in East Linton: Exploring the Meeting Centre Approach in the Community
For four Tuesday mornings, 14 people from across the East Linton area got together to build Colourful Connections, a dementia-inclusive space in the community for a new creative…
Strictly for Seniors: When a Community Starts Dancing
What happens when local people come together to share stories, music, memories and movement? Strictly for Seniors is much more than a dance project. It's a celebration of…
Musselburgh Library Garden: a place for plants and people to thrive
The Musselburgh Library Garden is a community garden, a place for plants and people to thrive, and a place for connection, joy and confidence. The Library Garden was created by…