Have you ever felt you would like to do more for your community and raise awareness about dementia? Wanted to help those people around you understand more about the disease and how it affects people’s day to day lives but did not know how to go about organising anything.  Well hosting a coffee morning or an afternoon tea could be the answer. Whatever your reason to host, no reason is too big or too small. You may want to raise awareness of dementia or just hold an event where people can come together to have a chat and show their support. Anything you do will help those affected by dementia. 

I have held many events over the years for in aid of Alzheimer’s Society as my own mother lived with the disease for over 10 years. I had such fun organising coffee mornings and even a mini music festival.  It made me feel I was giving back, and I was making a difference. You can hold your event wherever you feel comfortable, your home or garden, a village hall, local park or even online. There are so many options. Maybe throw a barbeque or treat your colleagues to some homemade bakes. No one can resist a homemade bake! 

Sitting down with friends and family can lift our spirits and break up the monotony of everyday routines. Sharing stories, listening to others, and simply enjoying the company can lift a mood. Add to that the opportunity to raise awareness of dementia whilst enjoying a cuppa and a cake or two will give you a sense of doing the right thing and helping others. Just as I did. 

So go grab your recipe book, whisk and baking tins and set a date for a good catch up and natter. Big or small you will be making a difference. You will not just be having a great time, but you will be giving people the chance to come together and learn more about dementia and share their own experiences whilst enjoying all the lovely cakes that have been baked. Your friends will love to bake their speciality cake especially if they get to show it off! 

So, what helps make a successful event? 

• Plan a time and place that will suit you and your guests. 

• Invite as many people as you can, ideally a few weeks before the event works best. Do not worry if you think you have invited too many people as a few will drop out nearer the time. It always seems to happen and if they all turn up then there will be more fun and chats! 

• Decide what to make beforehand and ask for help. Whether it is with baking or even faking do share the load with your family and friends. Working together with friends and family cannot be underestimated it can be so much fun and rewarding. Organising an event is a lot of work for one individual. I got my family and friends involved in all my events and I soon found out who was good at what task! 

• Decide what to make beforehand and check you have all the ingredients including information about dementia and local dementia services for people to take away;   
   
• Maybe have a raffle, you could donate your donations to a local dementia charity. A lot of local businesses can be incredibly supportive of local events. But just having a cuppa and cake and a chance to chat about things dementia related is good enough. 

• It does not have to be all about the cake, a book exchange or making twiddle muffs and memory blankets can be popular. Maybe invite a guest speaker to come along. 

• One last thing remember, however you want to host, big or small, host it your way and it does not have to have anything to do with cake. Once I organised a dog walk from my local pub in Slinfold but we did finish with a well-deserved cuppa and cake! The choice is yours. So long as you have fun organising it that is what matters and the knowledge that you are helping people affected by dementia.  

• Finally good luck and please do share your story with us, we would love to hear how you got on.