Moray Monday Club hailed as a ‘lifesaver’
It’s Monday afternoon in Elgin’s Williamson Hall and the enjoyment is there to be seen on people’s faces.
Designed for both those with dementia and the family members who look after them, the Moray Monday Club came perilously close to folding in the wake of Covid. However, it’s since surged back as strong as ever.
Some club members are up on their feet in the middle of the hall, dancing and singing along to Music Rhythm, a duo performing Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline.
Others are happily sat having a chat and getting a bite to eat. It’s a chance for everyone to get out of the house and socialise.
Vivienne Roberts from Fogwatt has been coming along with her husband Stanley, a retired hospital engineer, for the past two years.
She says: “It’s a lifesaver. A lot of people here will say the same. I can‘t get out because I can’t leave him. But there are familiar faces here at the club and he likes it.
“It’s also a community, a very happy place, where I get to meet and make friends with people who are in the same boat.”
Wendy Burges, the club’s chairperson, said: “People have offered to come along to our meetings to give talks about dementia.
“But while that’s very kind, it’s not really what we’re about.
“We try to leave dementia at the door. Instead it’s a chance for people to just be a husband and wife again, or a child and parent again.
“The message about what we do here each Monday has spread by word of mouth.
“The fact that we’ve grown from having 23 members to nearly 90, and now have a waiting list, shows there’s a very strong need for it in the community.”
Besides meeting each week in the Williamson Hall, the Moray Monday Club also organises events during the year.
Outings have included trips to Threaplands Garden Centre and the Laichmoray Hotel, Banff and Grantown, amongst others, while a Christmas party is on the horizon.
Charlie Steele now cares for Barbara, his wife, who is the club’s honorary president.
He says: “Barbara’s association with the club started back in 1988 when her mother was diagnosed with dementia and moved from Fife to live with us here in Lossiemouth.
“Looking for activities for her mum, Barbara came across the Monday Club which had been set up a couple of years beforehand by the Reverend John Stuart, who was the Church of Scotland Minister at Hopeman, and his wife Elma.
“When Barbara’s mum passed away she continued as a volunteer with the group as did many of the carers in a similar situation.”
The activities grew to include monthly lunch outings, various celebration events, concert visits and many fundraising activities.
Meanwhile, Barbara served at various times over the years as the club’s chairman, treasurer and secretary.
However, in November 2019, the circle of Barbara’s life with the club was completed when she, herself, was given a GP diagnosis of probable early signs of vascular dementia.
Charlie added: “The Moray Monday Club has for many years been a major part of Barbara’s life.
“It’s a very much anticipated and enjoyed event of the week.”
Hilda Stuart’s husband Graham, a former lorry driver, was diagnosed in September last year.
She says: “It’s the only time during the whole week I can sit down for two hours and finish a cup of coffee. Otherwise, I have to have my eyes on him 24/7.
“And it’s really nice for him just to meet new people.
“This place is great for us. It keeps me sane.”
The Moray Monday Club was saved from closure in 2022 after a successful appeal for more volunteers to come forward.
To maintain its success it is now on the lookout for more members of the public to become trustees.
Contact MorayMondayClub@gmail.com
