Dementia cafe opens new outdoor space at Gourock church

The dementia cafe at Old Gourock & Ashton Church has created a new outdoor space for members to enjoy the fresh air.

A team from the Inverclyde Community Development Trust carried out the landscaping work while generous donations have helped to buy new tables and benches for the 'Memory Garden'.

Gillian McCallion, who helps to run the cafe with colleague Phyllis Caitens, said: "It was a fabulous day. We had a big afternoon tea and Reverend David Burt opened the garden. It felt quite emotional when he cut the ribbon.

"The Trust have widened the paths and they did the landscaping and the church donated slabs and materials."

The idea was kickstarted by a generous £500 donation from the local Parish Players amateur dramatic group. It was given in memory of Gillian's mum Iris Dobie, who was a founder member of the drama group, and enabled three benches to be purchased.

There was also another kind donation of £200 from the family of another much-loved member of the group which bought tables to go along with the benches.

Other donations have been used to buy cushions and parasols and a plaque has been put up on the wall with the inscription 'Here is a place to sit together and create new memories'.

The group meets every Friday between 2-3.30pm, with the people coming along accompanied by their carers.

Gillian says the outdoor space will be well used over the coming months and wants to ensure that people in community make use of it.

She said: "It's a nice sun trap here and the garden is not just for the dementia cafe. It is for everyone."