Home Instead Senior Care Harrogate, Ripon and Thirsk, joined volunteers and Mayor Councillor Stuart Martin to celebrate the first year since volunteers took over the running of Gracious Street Memory Lane Café, based at Gracious Street Methodist Church, Knaresborough.
The Memory Lane Café was originally launched five years ago by the Alzheimer’s Society, but when there was a risk of losing the funding for the cafe, the volunteers with enormous help and Support from Gracious Street Methodist Church stepped in to take over in July 2018.
The café provides an opportunity for anyone with dementia, their carers, friends and family members, the opportunity to meet people, to reminisce and to share experiences or just get out of the house.
Lisa Stirk, community co-ordinator at Home Instead, has been volunteering at the café since December 2018 and has made many friends and memories in the process. She said:
What a wonderful afternoon celebrating one year since the volunteers took over the running and self-funding of the Memory Lane Café. They really are a truly magical group of people.
We would like to thank Mayor Councillor Stuart Martin and his wife, April, who joined in the celebrations. They were delighted to meet the friends of the café and hear about why it is such a special place. The event included a quiz, beautifully decorated tables, strawberries and cream, along with a cup of tea and a slice of the stunning cake that had been made by one of the amazing original volunteers, Karen.
Gracious Street Memory Lane Café runs every other Tuesday of the month, 2.30pm to 4.00pm, at Gracious Street Methodist Church, Chapel Street, Knaresborough, HG5 8AN. Please call Norman Smales on 07808 076375 to book your place.
