Older adults in Kent with possible early signs of dementia will have better access to early memory assessments thanks to a new initiative funded by a grant from East Kent Freemasons to Age Concern Sandwich.

The £57,000 grant will fund The Memory Champions Project, which aims to tackle some of the lowest dementia diagnosis rates in England. In Kent, just 52.3 per cent of people estimated to be living with dementia receive a formal diagnosis, significantly below the national average.

The project will be led by Age Concern Sandwich, working collaboratively with United Ages of Kent, a consortium of 10 local charities committed to improving the lives of Kent’s ageing population.

Memory Champions is a pioneering community-based model. Rather than expecting older adults to attend GP surgeries, the project will bring memory assessments into trusted community settings such as community centres and charity hubs, making them more accessible and less intimidating for those experiencing early signs of cognitive decline.

Work done in the art class

The grant from Kent Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends across England and Wales.

Ben Garratt, CEO of Age Concern Sandwich, said:

“We’re incredibly grateful to the Freemasons for this generous grant. Age Concern Sandwich is proud to lead the Memory Champions Project, working collaboratively with our United Ages of Kent partners to make memory assessments more accessible and compassionate. Early support can make all the difference and this initiative puts people at the centre of the pathway to diagnosis and care.”

Peter Rhodes from East Kent Freemasons, said:

“I’m very please we’ve been able to help Age Concern Sandwich with their hugely important project helping to diagnose older people with potential cases of dementia. This much needed initiative will help redress Kent’s very poor diagnosis rate which is one of the lowest in the country.”

The Masonic Charitable Foundation

We are the Freemasons’ charity

Funded entirely through the generosity of Freemasons and their families, the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) is one of the largest grant-making charities in the country.
We build better lives by enabling opportunity, advancing healthcare and education and promoting independence.

Our vision

Our Vision for Society
Everyone has the opportunity to lead positive, active and fulfilling lives, especially those that are in need, disadvantaged or marginalised

Our Vision for the Masonic Community

Masonic families are healthy, stable and secure thereby providing them with the opportunities to participate actively in their community and succeed in life.

Our mission

To be a force for good by providing support, care and services to Freemasons and their families in need, and supporting other charities to help the most disadvantaged in society.

Our values

Our strategy
These are the three strategic goals that will help us to achieve our mission between 2018 and 2022:

We will enhance our support and services
We will improve our ways of working
We will raise our profile
We are currently working with our staff, volunteers and trustees to create our next strategy that will take us up to 2030.