About the project

About Dementia launched in 2019, thanks to funding from the Life Changes Trust. Since then, we’ve been working alongside people living with dementia, unpaid carers and partner organisations to make a meaningful impact in influencing policy and practice for people living with dementia.

We engage with people with lived experience to understand what needs to change, then work collaboratively to do what we can to make those changes real.

Our work spans many areas but connecting with people affected by dementia at a community level lies at the heart of everything we do. When the project began, we spent time travelling around Scotland to communicate in person with those impacted by dementia. The Covid-19 pandemic saw us shift to online work and we are now operating a hybrid model, with a mixture of in-person and online meetings and events.

Working groups

We host regular meet-ups for people living with dementia and we also host groups for carers. These events support people on an individual level, offering them a safe space to open up and build friendships with others in similar situations. Coffee and Blether is our most informal group, where people come together to chat and enjoy a cuppa.

Those who are looking to discuss dementia issues on a wider scale – issues where they would like to see change, for example access to services – are welcome to attend our policy drop-ins. For a deeper discussion on the political landscape and to help inform the direction of travel towards necessary change, members are invited to our Human Rights Working Groups.

We’ve seen many friendships form through these groups and participants say they are of great benefit to their mental health and wellbeing. We’re always looking for new faces to join us, so if you’re interested, get in touch by emailing aboutdementia@agescotland.org.uk You can check upcoming dates and events here.

The Network

We also support groups and organisations across Scotland who run services for people living with dementia, through our Dementia Friendly Communities Network. Every month we bring Network members together online for discussions on dementia-related topics and to learn from each other. We recently launched in-person events, which received extremely positive feedback from attendees. Membership is free and open to everyone who is interested in supporting dementia friendly communities in Scotland. 

Grants and funding

Another very important aspect of our work is funding. We currently have two types of funding available: Peer-to-Peer Grants and the Encouraging and Supporting Grassroots Activity Fund. The first of these grants, Peer-to-Peer, is awarded only to people living with dementia or carers of people living with dementia. The programme aims to empower these people to set up their own projects and is open to applications at any time. The grassroots dementia grant is for anyone who runs a group or organisation that provides activities which support people with dementia and/or carers, and is only open to applications during specific periods.