A weekly music café helping veterans living with dementia rediscover memories, combat isolation and build lasting friendships is continuing its life-changing work thanks to a new grant from the Veterans' Foundation.
The funding will support Cafe' Muse Hereford, a unique music-led dementia café run by the Orchestra Of The Swan, where around 30 veterans and their families come together every week to enjoy live music, companionship and specialist support in a safe and welcoming environment.
Held at The Courtyard in Hereford, each session combines live music, shared meals and professional pastoral care, led by experienced musicians and facilitators, including a military reservist and veteran alongside specialists in veterans' mental health and dementia care.
Participants are encouraged to sing, dance, play instruments or simply listen, but organisers say the greatest impact goes far beyond the music itself.
"The really special thing about the Hereford group is the community because of that tie of them being veterans,” said Lucy Samuels, Orchestra and Development Manager.
"As soon as they walk into the room, they know they've got that experience in common and they all meet up outside of the sessions and they've all formed really strong relationships."
One unforgettable moment perfectly captures the difference the project makes.
During one session, musicians began playing Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
For one veteran living with advanced dementia, it had been the first dance at his wedding.
Usually quiet and reserved, he slowly stood up, turned to his wife and, without saying a word, held out his hand and invited her to dance.
"Everyone in the room suddenly realised that something really special was happening and just kind of moved out of their way and let them have the space,” Lucy continued.
"It was just really amazing to see that memory had been triggered by this bit of music because normally he wouldn't have been able to discuss anything like that."
"I remember watching and everyone was in floods of tears."
The £29,732 Veterans’ Foundation grant will fund the project for a further year and marks the third time the VF has supported Cafe' Muse Hereford.
The continued investment reflects the proven impact of the charity's work in providing free, weekly music-led dementia café sessions for veterans and their families, helping them live better with dementia while reducing isolation and strengthening family connections.
That sense of community is so strong that when the venue is unavailable, many of the regular attendees still gather together in the café rather than miss their weekly catch-up.
"I always think that's really special and it just shows how important those sessions are as a regular checkpoint for them,” Lucy concluded.
