Dementia can be one of the most isolating diseases and is fairly common in those over 60 – around a third of us will experience it in our lifetimes. Suffolk is striving to be as dementia-friendly as possible by encouraging businesses and organisations to welcome and provide for those with dementia.
In this page we have compiled a list of the dementia-friendly services and activities for six Suffolk towns that are exceptional examples of dementia friendly communities.
You can also find out more about Dementia Care Services in Suffolk on the Age Space Suffolk Hub.
We would like to bring attention to East of England Co-op food stores, who are the largest independent retailer in the region and are committed to making their stores friendly to the elderly and those with dementia. They have stores throughout the region.
Dementia-Friendly Bury St. Edmunds
Memory Cafรฉs and Dementia-Friendly Eateries in Bury
Old Cannon Brewery
- Where? 86 Cannon St, Bury St. Edmunds, IP33 1JR
- Telephone: 01284 768769
- Visit Website
Gatehouse Community Lunches
- Where? Gatehouse, Dettigen Way, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3TU
- When? Wednesdays, 11:30am - 2:00pm
- Telephone: 01284 703835
- Email: [email protected]
- Visit Website
Really Rather Good Coffee House
- Where? 31 Abbeygate Street, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 1LW
- Telephone: 01284 756181
- Visit Website
Dementia-Friendly Entertainment in Bury
Abbey Gate Cinema - Dementia-Friendly Screenings
- Free Carer Ticket and 20 minute interval
- Telephone: 01284 754477
- Email: [email protected]
- Visit Website
Free Rickshaw Rides
- Chatty, volunteer-lead tour of Bury St. Edmunds, including the Abbey Gardens
- Telephone: 01284 339449
- Contact Form
- Visit Website
HeartSong - Music in Out Bones
- A well-being singing project for Family Carers and their partners or friends with mental or physical health issues run once monthly in the Bury area
- Telephone: 07757 809297
- Email: [email protected]
- Monthly Thursdays
- Visit Website
Visit Bury’s Dementia Action Alliance page for more information and list of associated members.
Dementia-Friendly Exercise in Debenham
Considered to be one of the leading dementia-friendly communities in the East of England, The Debenham Project strives to give practical and emotional support to all in the area with dementia, while making their community as safe as possible to live in. Some of the activities they provide are:
Lunch Clubs
Garden Party and other Activities
Dementia-Friendly Activities in Hadleigh
Hadleigh’s Dementia Action Alliance boasts over 1800 dementia friends, 39 dementia-friendly businesses and retailers, and three weekly dementia inclusive social activities.
Memory Cafรฉs and Dementia-Friendly Eateries in Hadleigh
Ansell Memories Cafรฉ
- When? Thursdays, 11:00am - 3:00pm
- Telephone: 07941 497927
- Email: [email protected]
- Visit Website
Dementia-Friendly Churches in Hadleigh
The Hadleigh United Reformed Church
- Where? Great Meeting, Market Place, Hadleigh, Suffolk, IP7 5DL
- Telephone: 01473 822850
- Visit Website
Dementia-Friendly Entertainment in Hadleigh
Ansell Community Centre
- Community Centre running Dementia Friendly lunch clubs and activities
- Telephone: 07579 044131
- Email: [email protected]
- Visit Website
Hadleigh Annual Farm Show in May
- Dementia Friendly activities, food stalls and mobility scooters available to hire
- Telephone: 07584 568055
- Email: [email protected]
- Visit Website
Hollow Trees Farm
- Dementia friendly petting zoo, farm tour, shop and cafe
- Telephone: 01449 741247
- Where? Hollow Trees Farm Shop, Semer, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP7 6HX
- Visit Website
Meet Up Mondays
- Dementia Friendly Coffee Group
- Visit Website
Dementia-Friendly Ipswich
The County Town of Suffolk has a large amount of dementia accommodating services and activities and many Dementia Action Alliance Members.
Dementia Cafรฉs in Ipswich
Monday Memories
- Telephone: 01473 718995
- Email: [email protected]
- Where? St. John the Baptist Church, 426 Woodbridge Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 4EL
- Visit Website
Friday Friends Dementia Cafรฉ
- Social mornings of tea, biscuits and activities
- Telephone: 01473 345350
- Contact Form
- Visit Website
Dementia Friendly Churches in Ipswich
Castle Hill Reformed United Church
- Where? Dryden Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 6QF
- Telephone: 01473 402721
- Visit Website
St. Augustin's Church
- Telephone: 01473 723960
- Email: [email protected]
- Where? St Augustineโs Church, Bucklesham Road, Ipswich, IP3 8TH
- Visit Website
Dementia-Friendly Entertainment in Ipswich
Ipswich Town Football Club
- Dementia friendly, call ahead of the game to make sure they can accommodate you
- Telephone: 01473 400 500
- Email: [email protected]
- Visit Website
Wolsey Theatre
- Accessible performances
- Where? New Wolsey Theatre, Civic Drive, Ipswich, IP1 2AS
- Visit Website
- Where? Gippeswyk Hall, Gippeswyk Ave, Ipswich, IP2 9AF
- Dementia Friendly Theatre Performances
- Telephone: 01473 603388
- Visit Website
Music in Mind - Music In Our Bones
- A well-being singing project for Family Carers and their partners or friends with mental or physical health issues run once monthly in the Ipswich area
- Telephone: 07757 809297
- Email: [email protected]
- Fortnightly Mondays
- Visit Website
Sporting Memories
- Sporting Reminiscence techniques group for the 50+ age group to engage and form friendships (several clubs in Ipswich)
- Visit Website
Dementia Friendly Newmarket
Part of the Dementia Action Alliance with a large range of dementia friendly services, businesses and cultural activities. Home to the Day Care Centre (CIO) that welcomes the over 50s, including those with dementia, for enjoyment of various activities and lunch.
Dementia-Friendly Shopping in Newmarket
In addition to a branch of the East of England Co-op, the Tesco Extra is a dementia action alliance member with dementia trained staff and in house cafรฉ. There are also a large variety of local businesses and retailers signed up as ‘dementia friendly’ including butchers, hairdressers and electrical appliance shops. The Guineas Shopping Centre is also fully accessible and offers mobility scooter hire facilities in the Newmarket Library within the centre. For a full list visit the Newmarket Dementia Action Alliance home page.
Dementia Cafรฉs and Dementia Friendly Eateries in Newmarket
Shine a Light Dementia Cafรฉ
- Where? All Saints Church, All Saints Road, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 8ES
- Telephone: 01638 666240
- Contact Form
- Visit Website
The Pantry Fine Foods
- Telephone: 01638 661181
- Email: [email protected]
- Visit Website
Dementia-Friendly Churches in Newmarket
All Saints Anglican Church
- Where? All Saints Church, All Saints Road, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 8ES
- Telephone: 01638 666240
- Contact Form
- Visit Website
St. Mary's Church
- Where? St Mary's Church, Church Lane, Newmarket, CB8 0HP
- Telephone: 07500 794303
- Visit Website
Our Lady Immaculate and Saint Etheldreda RC Church
- Where? 14 Exeter Road, Newmarket, CB8 8LT
- Telephone: 07464 369206
- Visit Website
Dementia-Friendly Entertainment in Newmarket
Newmarket Leisure Centre
- Dementia-Friendly Exercise
- Where? Exning Rd, Newmarket, CB8 0EA
- Telephone: 01284 757473
- Visit Website
Dementia-Friendly Entertainment in Stowmarket
Stowmarket’s Dementia Action Alliance has a large list of businesses and organisations signed up as members, working to achieve a dementia friendly Stowmarket. As with the above towns, East of England Co-op operates in Stowmarket, providing a safe and accessible shopping experience for those with mobility limitations and dementia.
The Gladstone Arms is one eatery that is dedicated to being dementia friendly. They ask that you mention your needs ahead of your meal, so that their staff can best accommodate you.
Dementia Friendly Entertainment
Stowmarket Rookery Bowls Club
- With an aim to bring bowls to their community, Rookery Bowls Club is accessible to anyone with dementia or other disabilities
- Telephone: 07910 285137
- Email: [email protected]
- Visit Website
Stowmarket Library
- Where? Ipswich County Library, Northgate Street, Ipswich, IP1 3DE
- Telephone: 01473 351249
- Email: [email protected]
- Visit Website
The Regal Stowmarket Cinema
- Relaxed film performances
- Where? The Regal, Ipswich Street, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 1AY
- Telephone: 01449 612825
- Visit Website