Search for new leader as vital dementia café seeks to relaunch charity support hub in Wetherby

Wetherby in Support of the Elderly (WiSE) says it plans to open its dementia cafe in the coming months, but first needs a part-time dementia leader to coordinate sessions designed to maintain wellbeing and social interaction for all those who attend.

Charity bosses say the café represents the last step in its efforts to restore key services post-pandemic, as it strives to improve the quality of life of over-60s in Wetherby and its surrounding villages.

Mark Dobson, Chief Operating Officer at WiSE, said: “We’re proud of the way we’ve restored our core services in the wake of multiple pandemic lockdowns, but our once popular memory café was the last remaining event we’d been unable to reopen.

“Thanks to some generous and much-needed funding, we’re now able to re-establish this really important community support hub..”

The weekly dementia café – previously known as the Meet Up Monday Memory Café was originally set up several years ago to respond to the growing number of dementia cases in Wetherby and its surrounding villages.

The café supported those living with dementia and their carers by providing an appropriate setting to focus on clients’ wellbeing, with sessions facilitated by two professional members, alongside WiSE’s own trained volunteers.

Support and advice was also offered to family carers to assist them in their day-to-day continuing and challenging caring role.

Funding for the relaunch of the café has come from multiple sources, including the National Lottery Awards For All and McCarthy Stone Foundation.

WiSE is a registered charity organisation part funded by Leeds City Council (LCC) with the aim of improving quality of life for the over 60s by providing community based activities, information, help and support.

It was recently given the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, which is equivalent to an MBE.

WiSE is seeking a Dementia Lead & Coordinator for eight hours a week.

For more information, or to apply, please visit www.w-ise.org.uk/about/#work-for-us