Memory Matters CIC are a provider of activity clubs, training, and resources in the specialist field of dementia care. Run by nurses, the organisation has a sensitive and professional insight into the issues that affect people with dementia, their families, and carers.

Memory Matters approached us having identified an opportunity to improve dementia-friendly facilities in the South West. We were appointed to work collaboratively on the design of a Nostalgia Café, a pilot project for the organisation and for Plymouth, funded by the Social Enterprise Fund.

Our commission involved the design of dementia-friendly spaces within the new café, to harness the benefits of reminiscence for people with dementia, their families, and the wider public. Adopting best practice to provide comfortable spaces for people with heightened sensitivity to unfamiliar environments, whilst also providing rich sources of stimulation for reminiscence were key challenges with the project brief.

Our services extended beyond design, including also the appraisal of potential sites for disabled access and spatial suitability. Working closely with the wider project team which included business planning advisors and accountants, ensured that the design met budgetary constraints, and provided income generation for the client.