Active Minds

“One in 14 people over the age of 65 have dementia, and the condition affects 1 in 6 people over 80. The number of people with dementia is increasing because people are living longer. It is estimated that by 2025, the number of people with dementia in the UK will be more than 1 million.” - NHS

We know that those living with dementia often withdraw from friends, hobbies and group activities as symptoms become more difficult to manage and loneliness can make life harder for the carer too.

Active Minds’ group sessions are for older people who are experiencing symptoms of cognitive impairment such as forgetfulness, difficulty making decisions, increased anxiety and reduced ability to follow instructions.

“Coming along to Active Minds was the highlight of my week and I’ve made wonderful new friends who are in the same boat as me. We now go along to Bowls and Pub Lunches together. My son says joining Link Visiting was the best thing that happened to me”
- Active Minds attendee

The programme is based on some of the techniques we use in the delivery of Maintenance Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (MCST) for early-stage mild to moderate dementia sufferers.

‘Active Minds’ groups comprise no more than 10 older people who will participate in volunteer-facilitated activities such as quizzes, word games and discussions designed to stimulate thinking in an informal, reassuring environment with the key objective to improve confidence, make new friends and have fun. Each course consists of 8 consecutive weekly sessions. Older people can refer themselves or be referred via family members or professionals. There is a high demand for these sessions given the lack of interaction and stimulation so many of our older residents have suffered during the pandemic.

An award-winning project

We're delighted to share that our Active Minds project has been awarded 'Community Project of the Year'. The award was presented at the Wokingham Community Awards in association with Wokingham Today and Wokingham Borough Council. The event aimed to celebrate all the wonderful things happening in our borough.

How to make a referral

1. Fill in our online referral form and ensure you tick the ‘Active Minds Course’ box. Please read through our referral guidelines too.

2. A member of our team will be in touch and to arrange an assessment and see if we can help or if we need to refer to one of the partners in the voluntary sector.