The Healthy Living Club at Lingham Court is a self-directed dementia-centred community group which has been in existence for over four years.  The group meets around programmes of activities of particular benefit to people who have dementia, promoting mental, physical and social wellbeing. The activities have been developed in response to members’ needs and requests, and changes from time to time as those needs change.  At present we have 70 members from a wide variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and they are: 28 people with dementia from the community, 23 people including 10 with dementia who live in an extra care housing scheme in Lambeth, and 19 family carers. Most of our members (the volunteers excluded) are over 75, and the oldest is 102. During each year 95 to 110 people benefit as there is some turnover.

We are governed by a small Committee of Trustees, have a part time paid Co-ordinator, who has been tireless in seeking funds from grant giving Trusts and organising local fundraising. We have a number of dedicated Volunteers who facilitate the Clubs. We operate a unique model of support for people who are living with dementia and members experience a strong sense of wellbeing and of belonging to a community, when the experience of dementia can leave people socially isolated and at risk of depression. In a recent study the Health Innovation Network found that our annual expenditure of £30,784 (plus the resources in kind we leverage in, including £58,736 worth of volunteers' time) generates £506,094 worth of ‘social value’. The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) features us a model example of 'coproduction' on their website.

We are in a position now where we hope to expand our model to another extra care housing scheme in the borough, to enable more people with dementia and their families to benefit. Because of this, we are looking to strengthen our Committee of Trustees with a broader set of skills.