DEMENTIA Action Alliance in the Forest of Dean has received a £7,500 grant as part of Gloucestershire County Council’s Thriving Communities Grant 2025.
The funding will support the organisation’s Music Memory Cafés, designed to improve the wellbeing of people living with dementia and provide a space for socialising, connecting, and singing together.
The Music Memory Cafés offer a safe, inclusive environment where those with dementia, their caregivers, families, and the wider community can come together.
The sessions not only help participants with mental and emotional health but also encourage a sense of unity through music.
This is just one of 68 community projects across Gloucestershire to receive funding this year, totaling over £400,000.
The Thriving Communities Grant aims to support local initiatives that help individuals stay well and live independently for as long as possible, with a particular focus on reducing isolation and improving physical and mental health.
Since its inception in 2018, the programme has supported over 370 projects and invested nearly £2.8 million into Gloucestershire's communities.
Other recipients this year include Men in Sheds, Cheltenham, who will use their £7,500 grant to reduce social isolation through creative activities, and Age UK, Tewkesbury, who will fund gentle walking groups for older residents.
Cllr Carole Allaway-Martin, cabinet member for adult social care at Gloucestershire County Council, expressed her delight in the programme’s continued success: “I am thrilled that we can fund such a diverse range of organisations through the Thriving Communities grant programme. These initiatives make a real difference in reducing isolation, improving wellbeing, and building stronger community ties.”
The funding has already had a lasting impact across the county, connecting people to their local communities and providing invaluable support for those in need.
For more details on the 2025 grant awards and the supported projects, visit Gloucestershire County Council’s website.