A new weekly dementia café is set to open in Winwick this spring, offering vital support for people living with dementia and the families who care for them.
The initiative, inspired in part by Borough Councillor Stuart Mann’s own family experience with the illness, will expand the growing network of dementia-friendly community groups across Warrington.
A Forget Me Not Café will soon begin running every Thursday morning from around 10 am to midday at Winwick Community Centre on Myddleton Lane, providing a relaxed and welcoming environment for people living with dementia and their carers to come together for conversation, activities and support.
The café is being organised in partnership with Winwick Parish Council and Warrington Borough Council, helping to strengthen the growing number of dementia-friendly initiatives across the borough.
The launch follows the success of a similar Forget Me Not Café hosted by ‘Dementia Friendly Warrington’ at Burtonwood Library, that Cllr Mann helped organise last year, which now runs every Friday from 10:30am to 12pm and has quickly become an important social lifeline for many local families.
For Cllr Stuart Mann, Borough Councillor for Burtonwood and Winwick, the initiative is deeply personal.
“Dementia is something that has touched my own family very closely. My father lived with vascular dementia, and seeing someone you love gradually lose memories and parts of themselves is incredibly difficult.
“It affects not just the person with the illness, but the whole family around them. It can be isolating and exhausting for carers, which is why local support groups like these cafés are so important.”
Cllr Mann has long supported the work of Alzheimer’s Society, one of the UK’s leading organisations supporting people affected by dementia while funding vital research into treatments and care.
Across the UK, nearly one million people are currently living with dementia, and organisations like Alzheimer’s Society continue to highlight the importance of community support networks alongside national research and care programmes.
“Charities like Alzheimer’s Society do incredible work supporting families and driving research,” said Cllr Mann.
“But alongside that national work, we also need strong local communities where people feel supported, understood and never forgotten.”
A Growing Network of Dementia Support Across Warrington
The new Winwick café forms part of a rapidly growing network of dementia cafés, memory groups and social activities taking place across Warrington, helping people remain connected and supported.
Across the borough, residents can now access a range of dementia-friendly groups:
Monday
• Monday Fun Social – Westy Community Centre (10:30am–12pm)
• Love to Move / Music & Memory – Salvation Army, Academy Street
Tuesday
• Forget-Me-Not Café – St Paul’s Church, Penketh (10am–12pm)
Wednesday
• Reminisce Café – Westbrook Library (10:30am–12pm)
• Memory Lane Café – Grappenhall Community Library (1:30pm–3pm)
• Lymm Memory Café – Lymm United Reformed Church (1:30pm–3pm)
• Dementia Activities Group – The Gateway, Sankey Street (1:30pm–3:30pm)
Friday
• Forget Me Not Memory Café – Sunflower Café, Culcheth (12:30pm–2:30pm)
• Fun Friday Social – Greenwood Community Centre (10:30am–12:30pm)
• Forget Me Not Café – Burtonwood Library (10:30am–12pm)
These groups provide a mixture of social interaction, music, games, quizzes, gentle exercise and conversation, all designed to support people living with dementia while also giving carers an opportunity to connect with others facing similar challenges.
“One of the great things about the growing number of dementia cafés across Warrington is that people don’t have to limit themselves to just one,” said Cllr Mann.
“Residents are very welcome to attend whichever group suits them, and many people choose to visit several of them during the week. Each café has its own character and community, but they all share the same aim — creating a friendly space where people living with dementia and their carers can feel supported, relaxed and among friends.”
Volunteers Needed to Support the New Winwick Café
To help make the new Winwick café a success, organisers are now appealing for local volunteers who may be able to spare a couple of hours on Thursday mornings.
Volunteers may help with:
• welcoming visitors
• making refreshments
• assisting with activities
• simply chatting with people attending
No specialist experience is required — just a friendly and supportive approach.
“These cafés work because of the kindness and generosity of volunteers,” added Cllr Mann.
“Sometimes the most valuable thing you can give someone is simply your time and conversation. Even a couple of hours can make a real difference to someone who may otherwise feel quite isolated.”
Building a Dementia-Friendly Community
With the number of people living with dementia expected to rise significantly in the coming years, community initiatives such as the Forget Me Not cafés are becoming increasingly important in helping people remain socially connected.
Cllr Mann hopes the new café will play an important role in strengthening local support networks.
“Warrington has always been a community that looks after its own. The growing number of memory cafés and dementia support groups across the borough shows just how many people care about helping others.”
“If starting the café in Winwick helps just one family feel less alone while dealing with dementia, then it will already have been worth it.”
Residents who may benefit from attending the Winwick Forget Me Not Café, or anyone interested in volunteering to support the sessions, are encouraged to get in touch and help spread the word.
For further updates about the Forget Me Not Cafés in Burtonwood and Winwick, get in touch with Cllr Mann via his Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1BqHuJ5RMM/
or contact Winwick Community Centre directly
https://winwickcommunitycentre.org.uk/
