PEOPLE with dementia and their carers have been treated to a morning of vibrant music and tasty treats at museum in Christchurch as they launched their first bi-weekly Curiosity Café.

A group of eight participants and trained dementia friend volunteers came to Red House Museum and Gardens’ inaugural session run by professional musician and music-in-healthcare practitioner Fiona Pritchard from Colten Care, on Tuesday January 21, having been on trial since October 2019.

The sessions form part of the Hampshire Cultural Trust project, Still Curious, which aims to increase accessibility and enjoyment of local heritage for people with dementia and their carers by creating new dementia-friendly programmes of activities.

Community Manager at Red House Museum and Gardens Laura Bullivant said: “The aim of the session was for the participants to increase their concentration and listening skills as well as stimulate their memories, both in terms of repetition of movements and in triggering memories from familiar songs and rhythms.

The music Fiona chooses, based on her five years’ experience working with older people through music, is picked specifically for its toe-tapping nature to ensure any self-consciousness is forgotten.

By doing this, all eight participants, were able to feel free to laugh, joke and take part which in turn allowed them to socialise with each other and the volunteers and leave with big smiles on their faces.

The group of participants moved their arms in time to classic tunes such as Eva Cassidy’s ‘Fields of Gold’ and The Beatles’ ‘When I’m Sixty-Four’ before trying out a variety of instruments including tambourines, maracas and ukuleles.

Each fortnight a different theme will be explored in the 90-minute sessions, from music and mindfulness to gardening and a ‘food for thought’ collaboration with Waitrose which will encourage participants to try out different foods as well as learn healthy recipes to take home with them.

As part of a £50,000 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant and a donation from the Friends of Red House Museum, a new, accessible community activity space has been created and volunteers have been recruited and trained.

Alongside the Curiosity Cafés, Red House Museum has also launched Tuesday Strolls, an opportunity for exercise and socialising whilst walking routes designed with local heritage points at their centre.