Geeti Kabra reports from the event
The Dementia Community Research Network (DCRN) is a growing network of researchers, public contributors, and community-based dementia support services working together to improve dementia care and research in South London. The DCRN aims to make dementia research more inclusive, accessible, and relevant to diverse communities.
With thanks to generous funding from the NIHR, as a part of the National Festival for Applied Dementia Research, the DCRN hosted its second community engagement event on Monday, 19 May. In line with our goal of community engagement, we chose a venue in the heart of South London, Stanstead Lodge, a charity for people over the age of 50. The aim of the event was to bring together people affected by dementia, local service providers, and academic researchers, in an effort to facilitate exchange of information.
This year, we were pleased to welcome over 80 people, including those affected by dementia, carers, members of the public interested in dementia charities and care partners. We were proud to host stalls from our community partners, including Age UK, Arts for Dementia, Home Instead and Butterfly Café, Join Dementia Research, and Two Mindful Bees. Researchers from King’s College London and Queen Mary University of London also showcased their work at stalls including stalls from the Cicely Saunders Institute and its Public Involvement Forum, the Health and Social Care Research Workforce Unit, and the CARE Network. We welcomed some new organisations this year, including Imago, supporting unpaid carers, and Age Exchange, hosting social activity reminiscence arts groups for people living with dementia and their carers.
