Meeting Centres

Meeting Centres offer a hyperlocal resource where people affected by dementia, unpaid carers and families can access friendly, community-based support, designed around their individual needs.

Normally run out of local buildings, Meeting Centres provide a social space where people with dementia and their loved ones can meet others and take part in activities they enjoy, based on what members are interested in.

Every Meeting Centre is different as they are embedded in the community they work with and are driven by the needs and interests of their members, and local communities. However, within those differences, there are essential features that Meeting Centres adhere to. The University of Worcester offer a range of resources to help those interested in learning more about Meeting Centres, including their guide '11 Essential Features of a Meeting Centre'.

The Scottish Meeting Centres Network

About Dementia worked in partnership with the Scottish Government to deliver £1 million funding to support Dementia Friendly Communities and Meeting Centres across Scotland between 2022 and 2023. The Meeting Centres strand of funding was set up to facilitate the development of a national network of Meeting Centres across Scotland. The aims of this network are to:

• Encourage the meaningful involvement of people living with dementia and family members
• Organise in person meetings of the network, in order to share learning and best practice
• Develop a community of learning and practice to build capacity of Meeting Centre managers and prospective managers
• Disseminate evaluation evidence and learning through international knowledge exchange.

The Meeting Centres network is built on a culture of sharing, learning, collaboration and support, with regular online meetings and quarterly in person meet-ups. Unpaid carers and people living with dementia are actively encouraged to get involved with the network.