The Mall Luton celebrates launch of Coffee Morning with Alzheimer’s Society

The coffee mornings, which are free to attend and will continue on the first Tuesday of each month from 10am – 12pm, offer the opportunity for the local community to speak to experts about any queries or concerns they may have about a friend, loved one, or even themselves when it comes to dementia.

The opening event saw The Mall’s Marketing Manager, Lavinia Douglass, and Deputy Mayor of Luton Councillor Raja, conduct a speech regarding the importance of these events and the impact they are likely to have on the surrounding community in Luton.

Councillor Raja said, “If there was ever any doubt about the value of such events, Alzheimer’s Society have provided us with an incredible statistic – 99% of people who attend dementia coffee mornings say that the experience has provided them with useful information. In addition to this, there are 2,100 people living with dementia in Luton.”

Councillor Raja continued “Dementia can be a scary topic. It is one that still has so much taboo around it. This is a huge step in squashing the stigma, and seeing the coffee morning events advertised is a reminder that nobody is alone in this journey. This is a fantastic service organised by The Mall Luton, who we so frequently see going above and beyond to serve and support their community.”

Esquires Coffee provided their facilities for the day, and will be for each Coffee Morning event going forward, providing delicious hot drinks and Danish pastries to those in attendance in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

The event saw many attendees asking the trained staff from Alzheimer’s Society questions, or asking for further materials that they could take home and refer to regarding dementia. It is set to serve as an invaluable resource for many in the community.

Lavinia Douglass, Marketing Manager at The Mall Luton, commented “We were thrilled to see people in attendance for our very first Coffee Morning in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society on Tuesday. A huge thank you to everyone who came along to show their support, including Councillor Raja and the fantastic ladies from the charity who were fabulous at engaging with the general public regarding any queries they had about dementia – which can be a scary topic.”

Lavinia continued, “Once again, we’d like to express thanks to our host Esquires Coffee for their hospitality. This is a safe space where people can feel comfortable to attend these sessions in moments of what might be real vulnerability. We are proud to offer this service and look forward to seeing its success going forward.”

Further information can be found on The Mall’s website.