We’ve had a busy and rewarding year at Dementia Friendly East Lothian, full of fun and friendship and also a lot of enthusiasm and energy from so many people – Members, Friends, Care-Partners, Communities and professionals. We were delighted to start the year with the news that East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership were continiung our funding for the Musselburgh Meeting Centre development project and to develop the Meeting Centre Approach across the county. Everyone in the DFEL team really appreciates the support we get and how much we can achieve when we work together.
We’ve made a lot of progress over the last year and want to celebrate what’s been achieved, say thank you and look ahead to 2025.
The Musselburgh Meeting Centre
The Meeting Centre is growing and thriving as a hub for people living with dementia and care-partners. Since opening in April 2023, we’ve hosted 165 sessions, we have 13 regular members, most attend 2 sessions a week. A third session us in development and due to start Spring 2025.
Members have enjoyed a variety of activities and outings. Their top 3 for this year were:
- The Merryhatton Christmas Trip “…loved browsing all the lovely Christmas decorations, friendly staff, great bacon rolls “
- Picnic in Lewisvale Park “It was good to remember the park when the kids were small – showing them the birds in the aviary”
- A Big Day Oot to Hopetoun House and The Kelpies “Lots of organising went into making it such a great day ….we weren’t left to ourselves we had a great tour inside the Kelpies …they took my breath away.”
The Meeting Centre is a welcoming space providing a lifeline for people with dementia and care-partners, offering friendship, support, and opportunities to ‘just be me.’
At the Meeting Centre, members enjoy a carefully designed mix of activities:
- Connecting and Socializing: Members forge friendships, share experiences, and participate in outings to local museums, parks, and of course ‘big days out’
- Moving and Creating: From trishaw rides with Cycling Without Age to creating art and poetry, members stay active, engaged, and express themselves creatively.
- Learning and Remembering: Members participate in research projects, workshops, and commemorative events, keeping their minds stimulated and connected to the wider community.
- Celebrating Life: Birthdays, holidays, and special events are celebrated with joy and camaraderie, fostering a sense of belonging and shared happiness.
Members value greatly the bonds they have built with the Community from the Musselburgh Museum, to the Library Garden Project and Cycling Without Age. Members have a particular fondness for the relationships build with pupils at Musselburgh Grammar School which continues to bring joy to both Members and pupils.
The Meeting Centre Team
The team facilitate and encourage people to do the things that matter to them. Fiona Barrett, Meeting Centre Manager and Meeting Centre Facilitators, April Govan, Dominika Gadomski and Jennifer McKay have worked their socks off to give the Members a great time, meaningful moments and enduring friendships. They are supported by volunteers Faye Rolland and Norman Barrett who have also bring so much to the quality of our work. Everyone brings their own skills and talents. We also have a great Board who bring their experience and insight to help us focus on our key role as an innovator and change agent and to be true to our core values with a commitment to peer leadership, assets based community development and collaboration and co production. The team – paid and volunteers – do a lot of work behind the scenes essential to our success and making a difference.
Impact and Outcomes
The Meeting Centre has become a valued part of the community, making a tangible difference to the lives of the members. Members have built strong and supportive friendships, that provide essential important emotional support to adjust to life with dementia and a sense of not being alone.
We can see firsthand how the Meeting Centre makes a meaningful contribiution to the lives of people living with dementia and their carers to:
- Feel supported and connected: Members have built strong and supportive friendships that provide essential important emotional support to adjust to life with dementia and a sense of not being alone – encouraged and facilitated by the Meeting Centre team.
- Stay active and engaged: The diverse range of activities stimulates Members and keeps them physically and mentally active
- Find their voice: Members are encouraged to share experiences, make decisions and advocate for themselves.
- Maintain independence: The Meeting Centre supports Members to live as independently as possible, building confidence and skills.
- Feel valued and respected: The Meeting Centre fosters a culture of respect and inclusivity, where everyone feels welcome, valued and appreciated.
We have seen Members become more confident, trying new things, getting out and about in the community and having their voices heard. Members determine what happens at the Centre and always have choices. Over time their ambitions have grown beyond the Centre to explore Scotland.
We’re working with Members and other people with lived experience of dementia to build their confidence, influence and voice as ‘experts by experience.’ Centre Members led a DFEL workshop on the Meeting Centre Approach to explain how the Centre works and how it has benefitted them. One member attended the Scottish Meeting Centres event on the West Coast, taking our views and messages to people living with dementia and carers across Scotland. Members have also been at the Musselburgh Community Day raising awareness of the Centre. They also met a local MSP to get their views heard about dementia and what needs to change in their community. All of these come together to build confidence, community and respect.
Developing the Meeting Centre approach in Musselburgh
Our work extends beyond the walls of the Meeting Centre. We’re committed to developing the Meeting Centre approach across East Lothian, working with communities and organisations to create more dementia-friendly spaces. As well as setting up East Lothian’s first Meeting Centre, we are also working with ELHSCP to explore what the Meeting Centre approach can achieve in Musselburgh and other areas. Given current constraints, a big question is how can we ensure that more poeple get the benefits of the Meeting Centre approach.
In Musselburgh we have been increasing our impact by facilitating 2 groups that people with lived experience tell us help them. These are shorter, more social and open to anyone to join us. They provide a contact point in the community for anyone looking for company or accessing help and support.
The Carers Space was launched in April 2023, providing a monthly dedicated support group for care-partners, providing a safe space to share experiences, access resources, and build friendships.
The Musselburgh Friendship Group a weekly social group for anyone interested in dementia, offering companionship, conversation, and activities. Around 8 people living with dementia, care partners and friends come to the Musselburgh Friendship Group. This group was originally started in 2017 in response to requests from people attending the Memory Course.
The Musseburgh Healthy Brain Hub was set up in partnership with The Hollies Community Hub to create a space to talk about how we can promote brain health for all ages and stages. We welcomed Martha Ellis as our first speaker, talking about her commission to celebrate QMU’s 150th birthday.
Intergenerational Projects: We work closely with Musselburgh Grammar School, bringing together young people and Meeting Centre members for shared activities, fostering understanding and connection across generations.
Community Partnerships: We collaborate with local organizations, schools, and community groups to create a network of support and promote dementia-friendly practices.
Developing across East Lothian
A Community of Learning and Practice – DFEL continues to create spaces and opportunities for people to come together to share experience and learn and grow together. This brings together our experience running the Musselburgh Meeting Centre and our work on community development and building knowledge and understanding. In 2024, we ran 2 workshops – on Co Production with the Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) and The Meeting Centre Approach (led by Members) and our Gathering focussed on how to keep our brains heathy with Professor Alan Gow. These are areas where thinking and practice are changing rapidly and where we can see great potential and opportunity for our way of working.
A Meeting Centre for Haddington – our final event of the year was a workshop with Meeting Centres Scotland in Haddington to explore if this is a conversation we want to continue. We meet again in January 2025…
Looking ahead to 2025
For the next year, our priorities include:
- Expanding the Meeting Centre: A new third session to reach more people and provide further support.
- Working with Haddington and other communities to explore the potential for the Meeting Centre approach
- Continuing to develop a ‘Hub and Satellites’ model: Creating a network of interconnected organsiations and communities working with the Meeting Centre approach to change lives across East Lothian.
- Promoting brain health: Raising awareness and encouraging healthy lifestyle choices to reduce dementia risk (and lots of other risks too) and contribute to creating a healthy old age for the older people of the future
We look forward to working together to change lives and make a difference.
Thank you for 2024, here’s to 2025!
Cheers
Sue