A MEMORY café in Saltash has received a welcome £1,000 funding boost from a local housebuilder, strengthening its ability to support people across the town living with dementia and those who care for them.

The café, which meets twice a month at Burraton Methodist Church, was awarded the funding through Persimmon Homes Cornwall & West Devon’s Community Champions scheme.

Members, volunteers and organisers were joined at the cheque presentation by Cornwall councillors Keith Johnson and Paul Cador, underlining the importance of the café’s work to the Saltash community.

Run by MHA Communities Cornwall, Saltash Memory Café – fondly known by its members as “Decaf” – provides a warm, friendly and inclusive space for people affected by memory loss, alongside their carers, friends and family members. The café focuses on improving wellbeing, reducing isolation and helping people remain connected to their community, offering opportunities for conversation, shared experiences, learning and a range of cognitive and physical activities.

For many residents, the café is a lifeline. It offers a safe and understanding environment where people living with dementia are treated with dignity and compassion, while carers can access support, advice and the reassurance of knowing they are not alone. As demand for dementia-friendly services continues to grow, the café’s role within Saltash has become increasingly vital.

Locality manager for MHA Communities Cornwall, Elizabeth Hewer, said the donation would make a real difference to the group’s ability to continue its work. She thanked Persimmon for its support, explaining that the funding will help sustain activities that promote emotional and physical wellbeing and provide practical guidance for those navigating the challenges of memory loss.

The donation forms part of Persimmon’s Community Champions initiative, which sees the housebuilder donate £700,000 every year to charities and community organisations across the UK. Recent recipients in the wider area include Plymouth Argyle Community Trust, The Box Museum, St Luke’s Hospice and Cornwall Air Ambulance.

Persimmon Homes Cornwall & West Devon has an established presence in the region and recently consulted the public on proposals to bring up to 350 new homes to Latchbrook Farm in Saltash. The plans include significant areas of public open space, children’s play areas, a wildlife nature trail and housing association properties, reflecting a focus on creating balanced and sustainable communities.

Sales director Jane Cartwright said Persimmon was committed to leaving a positive and lasting legacy in the areas where it builds. She said: “As part our mission to help sustain the good causes and wonderful work of much-loved organisations that make Saltash a great place to live, we’re delighted the local Memory Café applied to us for funding and we were able to give them a helping hand.”

Cllr Johnson praised the café as more than just a service, describing it as a lifeline for people living with memory loss and their families, while Cllr Cador also welcomed the donation, saying it would go a long way in helping the café maintain its “brilliant offer” to local people and expressing hope that other businesses would follow suit in supporting Saltash’s community groups.