A dementia awareness group has secured lottery funding to help improve life for people with the disease.

White Rose Dementia Coffee Morning was handed a check for £7806 on July 29 with the cash to be spent on room hire and day trips including transportation and tickets.

The group is a lifeline resource for people with dementia and their carers.

Starting in 2016, its mission to provide support, companionship, and cognitive stimulation activities emerged out of the needs shared by individuals with dementia.

Secretary Megan Andrews joined as a volunteer during her sixth form studies as her grandfather was diagnosed with the illness.

The current chair Wendy Short once served as a volunteer driver.

The group persevered through the Covid-19 pandemic but had to become independent when the Alzheimer's Society could not continue to support it.

It was rebranded as the New Tredegar Dementia Support Group in September 2020, launched by then-Mayor Councillor Carol Andrews.

Sadly, due to health complications among its members, the group nearly closed.

Recognising its importance, Carol - dementia champion and mother of Megan - rallied support from the Caerphilly Cares and GAVO to revive it.

Wendy, Megan and Carol turned it into the White Rose Dementia Coffee Morning in September 2022.

Meeting weekly (excluding Bank Holidays) from 10-12 noon, the group offers participants a space to socialize, engage in activities, and hear from guest speakers.

It also organizes day trips, stimulates cognitive capabilities, and provides various memory-enhancing activities for individuals in the early stages of dementia.

Cognitive Stimulation does not cure or reverse dementia but for many people with mild or moderate dementia, it could make a difference, not just in cognitive tests but in social interaction, mood, wellbeing, and day to day function.

"Studies have shown that it can be a cost-effective intervention," the Group notes.

It also works in partnership with various dementia-friendly communities and health organizations.

In a celebratory moment, the group welcomed Dawn Bowden MS on July 29, 2024, who presented their Lottery Cheque and joined in for a small celebration.

The White Rose Dementia Coffee Morning has become an invaluable resource, woven into the community fabric, a testament to collective resilience facing a challenging illness.