Isle of Wight cafe to support people with dementia opening in Cowes

Cowes Dementia Cafe will open every weekday and will be one of a number of amenities at Parklands in Park Road. As well as a weekday wellbeing club, other functions include gym facilities, an art therapy room, an activity room, hairdressing salon and training centre.

Other services complementary to dementia care – such as frontline debt and benefit advice – will be based at the centre, while space for other community functions is available for hire.

The need for a centre bringing together services and activities was identified in the IW Dementia Strategy.

Since Parklands was identified as the ideal location, efforts have been ongoing to bring the building – historically a children’s home – back into use.

Open weekdays between 9am to 4.30pm, the cafe will be a place where anyone is welcome to enjoy a cup of tea of coffee and cake or a hot or cold snack. 

The opening will mark the end of the first major phase of work – but much more is required to bring the centre into full use.

Seven employees from Island Roads spent a day at the centre under the company’s volunteering scheme, which allows staff to take two days paid leave each year to support a community project.

Tasks completed during their time at Parklands included painting, wallpaper stripping, sanding and filling and other DIY tasks.

Centre manager Donna White said: “We have had so much support from the local community and businesses but there is so much more still to do, particularly with the opening of the cafe so soon.

“That’s why we were so pleased that when we put out an appeal to local organisations, Island Roads responded so swiftly."

Volunteer Mark Dawson, who works for Island Roads, said: “It is only when you get here, see the building and speak to the amazing people behind the cafe that you realise what a fantastic project this is."