On Sunday, 18 May, St Edmundsbury Cathedral will mark Dementia-friendly Sunday at its 10.30 am service. According to the NHS, research shows there are more than 944,000 people in the UK who have dementia and 1 in 11 people over the age of 65 have dementia.

The date of the Cathedral’s Dementia-friendly service has been chosen to highlight Dementia Action Week which follows from 19 to 25 May. This Alzheimer’s Society led awareness campaign aims to put dementia in the public consciousness and encourage action to improve the lives of people affected by dementia.

In addition to the Dementia-friendly service on Sunday 18 May, the Cathedral will hold a hymn singalong on Tuesday 20 May at 2.00 pm. This service encourages those living with Dementia and similar conditions, and their carers, to join together in a singing favourite hymns. These special services are in addition to the monthly Together on Tuesday service that is for anyone who might find a longer service difficult, but still enjoys singing and praising God. This service is short, relaxed, and informal; people are encouraged to be as comfortable as possible and move around if needed. There is always coffee, cake, and a strong emphasis on fellowship and support, thanks to an experienced pastoral support team consisting of pastoral carers, nurses, and those experienced with dementia. Attendance has grown throughout the past two years and the Cathedral is now welcoming a regular worship group every month.

The Cathedral marked Dementia-Friendly Sunday for the first time in May 2022 and has continued working towards being a more dementia-friendly place in the year that’s followed. To help the Cathedral become a better place to visit for those living with dementia, a working group was formed to consult on projects to ensure inclusivity. New signage was installed across the site in 2024 that is dementia-friendly, and a list of other small improvements have taken place, like new welcome mats to ensure comfort and safety. Dementia awareness training has also been provided for Cathedral staff and volunteers.

The Rev’d Canon Matthew Vernon, Canon Pastor and Sub-Dean at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, leads on the Dementia-Friendly project. He said, “At the Cathedral for the last few years we have been working on being more dementia friendly. Other businesses and churches in the town have too, some for longer than us! It’s part of our whole community being more aware of dementia and related conditions, with many of us having direct experience of the profound impact on our family and friends. Most of us have someone dear to us living with one of the various forms of dementia.”