In partnership with the City of Burnside, the Lions Club of Burnside and Dementia Australia, the Burnside Memory Cafe is a support and educational initiative that assists attendees looking for insights and advice on living with dementia.
Held on the second Friday of every month at the Dulwich Community Centre, the Burnside Memory Cafe offers an opportunity to connect with others, hear from guest speakers and share similar life experiences over a shared morning tea.
Open to anyone, the Burnside Memory Cafe is a safe space designed to advocate for those affected by dementia including carers, family and friends.
The Cafe is led by Mike Neal, President of the Burnside Lions Club and 2025 Award for Active Citizenship recipient at the City of Burnside Australia Day awards. Mike is passionate about the program and providing a service he believes has been lacking in the area.
‘When you look at demographics, if anywhere in Adelaide needs a dementia support group, it is Burnside, and there isn’t one,’ Mike said. ‘We needed to fix that.’
‘We looked at similar community groups in other districts and the impact they were having on people. Seeing that first hand, we knew we had to make this work.’
‘I want this to be something people look forward to coming to. There is an educational aspect to this, but first and foremost this is social interaction. You are spending time with people who have similar issues to deal with. There are a lot of resources, and rightly so their focus is on the person living with dementia, but I want this group to have an equal focus on supporting those who are supporting loved ones with dementia.’
Still in the early stages of development, the group is looking to grow its numbers in order to become self-sustaining and independent from the City of Burnside and the Burnside Lions.
‘We are always welcoming new people. We find once we get people here, they keep coming back,’ Mike said.
‘We are here to help. We are here to provide an environment you are going to enjoy.’
Community awareness is vital to the collective efforts to support and advocate for those affected by dementia. Guests are welcome to bring along any friends or family interested in joining.
For more information and dates for the Burnside Memory Cafe, visit bit.ly/BurnsideMemoryCafe or contact Mike Neal on 0400 246 803.
Article written and published in the Burnside Focus – Winter 2025 edition