A memory cafe in Burntwood is celebrating its first birthday.

Express & Star

A memory group are celebrating a year of them getting together to support each other.

Transcript

00:00We're here at Birkwood Memorial Hall, and Karen, you're part of Magnolia Friends?

00:04I am.

00:05What is Magnolia Friends?

00:06I'm the founder of Magnolia Friends, so Magnolia Friends is a cafe where people can come each

00:12Thursday from 11 till 1 o'clock, and it's for people with memory loss or a diagnosis

00:17of dementia.

00:19So what do people get out of coming here then?

00:22We've just been chatting to John and Pauline, it's a big social side of it, isn't there?

00:26It is.

00:27Originally it was to combat isolation, which it is.

00:31It's where they can come here and not be judged, and they can get involved with anything that

00:36we do, or they can just sit amongst themselves and enjoy the teas and coffees, the word searches

00:41that we do as well.

00:43Yeah, we were saying, the little quizzes and that you get out on the table.

00:46We get them working, if we can.

00:47You've got a musician here today who's going to be singing a few songs for you.

00:50We have, yes.

00:51Images on display, it's great.

00:53So, how long have you been going?

00:55This is a bit of a special event, isn't it?

00:56It is, this is our first birthday.

00:58Yeah, fantastic.

01:00I think we're even going to have a round of happy birthday, aren't we?

01:02We are, we are, yes.

01:03So when people come along, do they tend to come along with a partner, is that how it works?

01:07Yeah, we encourage them to come along with a family member or a carer, or a friend, just

01:14so that we can talk to them both.

01:17And at some times we have sessions where, we call it a breakout, where the carer or

01:22the family member can leave this room, go into the next room, and they can have a chat

01:26amongst themselves.

01:27And then we can do some chair backs exercise, or another exercise or activity with the people

01:34who are left within the room.

01:36Well, I mean, you fill in the room, aren't you?

01:38You've got plenty of people.

01:40How many people do you normally have attending then?

01:42Is it once a week?

01:43It's once a week, and we get between 20 to 30 people coming.

01:47For somebody with this type of illness, it is about maximum that we want to be at, really.

01:54But we won't refuse anybody who comes to us.

01:58If we don't have two sessions, then we will.

02:01So everybody is welcome to come.

02:03Awesome.

02:04Well, thank you for inviting us down, Karen.

02:05And what a wonderful thing you've created here.

02:07Thank you very much.

02:08It's all, you know, we do it, I don't do it alone.

02:11I've got Sue, Janet, Dawn, and Janet, and lots of volunteers.

02:16And we wouldn't be able to do it without all the volunteers.

02:18Awesome, yeah.

02:19And the people that help us in the community as well.

02:21The counsellors as well.

02:23So it's a big thanks to everybody.

02:25It's a joint effort, a team effort.

02:27Well done to all involved.

02:28Who have we got then, guys?

02:29Hello.

02:30Hello.

02:31This is John.

02:32Great stuff.

02:33How are you?

02:34OK?

02:35We're fine.

02:36We always say this, don't we?

02:37You've got it.

02:38Yeah.

02:39How long have you been coming here then?

02:41Almost a year.

02:42Yeah?

02:43Oh, pretty much from the off then.

02:44From the beginning, the month after we started.

02:47Wow.

02:48So what is it you get out of coming here?

02:50It's meeting people and talking.

02:52Friendship.

02:53Most of all, friendship.

02:54And the caring.

02:56Yeah.

02:57The atmosphere is good.

02:58Yeah.

02:59And what sort of fun stuff do you get up to?

03:02I see you've got some quizzes, haven't you, and stuff.

03:04This is good, the way the people make all this effort for us to do, you know.

03:09Yeah.

03:10We appreciate it.

03:11Yeah, yeah.

03:12It's the kind of thing we don't get at home.

03:14Yeah, yeah.

03:15So you come here and just, you know, do it with old people.

03:18Yeah.

03:19They're all so helpful.

03:21I'm already getting a sense.

03:22There's a real nice, friendly buzz in the room, isn't there?

03:24Yeah.

03:25And I like that.

03:26Yeah, yeah.

03:27We're all beginning to know each other.

03:29Yeah, yeah.

03:30And we get to meet people we knew before.

03:32Yeah.

03:33Oh, it's nice to see you again.

03:35Yeah, that's good.

03:36Well, thank you for chatting to us, Pauline and John.

03:39It's a pleasure.

03:40Happy birthday to you.

03:44Happy birthday to you.

03:48Happy birthday, dear friends.

03:53Happy birthday to you.

03:58Hooray!

03:59Hooray!

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