Stroud Steps Up to Become a Dementia-Friendly Town
​Join the Conversation

Stroud is taking its first steps toward becoming a truly dementia-friendly town — and everyone’s invited to help shape that journey. On 23rd May, local residents, carers, health professionals, and anyone with lived experience of dementia are warmly welcomed to the inaugural meeting of the Stroud Dementia Action Alliance (SDAA). Whether you're living with dementia, caring for someone who is, or simply passionate about building a more inclusive community, your voice matters.

The meeting, hosted at St Laurence’s Church, marks the start of a wider conversation — one hopes to make Stroud a place where those living with dementia and their carers feel seen, supported, and truly part of community life. It's not just about services — it's about people, relationships, and everyday places that feel welcoming and safe.

Behind this initiative is John Colquhoun, Chair of the newly formed charity EngageD Now. A long-time champion of disability rights and community-led change, John’s previous work as Chair of Barnwood Trust and his MSc in Disability Studies helped shape his belief in the power of local networks to transform lives. During his studies, he was especially struck by the work of Mindsong — a Gloucestershire charity using music to reconnect people with dementia to joy, memory, and emotion — reinforcing his conviction that community connection is as vital as clinical care.

“The strength of rural communities lies not in their services,
​but in their people” 

It’s these principles that led to the creation of EngageD Now’s weekly lunch at Grange View Independent Living Hub in Uplands, in partnership with Stroud District Council and Lilian Faithfull Care. There, guests come together to share a meal, stories, and friendship. For many, it’s become more than just a lunch. One professional carer, speaking of a guest she brings regularly, said: “She would feel lost if she didn't come.” The wife of another guest shared: “This is the only thing he goes out to. He thoroughly enjoys coming: it gets him meeting and talking to other people and it certainly lifts him up.”

The new Stroud Dementia Action Alliance builds on this spirit of connection. Its vision is to unite local organisations, businesses, GPs, voluntary groups, and residents in a common purpose: making Stroud a town that works for everyone, including those living with dementia. At the inaugural event, guests will hear from Jeremy Porteus, CEO of the Housing LIN and a former member of the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia, and Dr. Simon Opher MP, a strong advocate for inclusive health approaches. There will also be an interactive workshop led by Laura Beattie, Stroud Town Council’s Community Development Worker, helping attendees explore what a dementia-friendly Stroud could look like, and what role they might play in shaping it.

“Asset-Based Community Development is all about starting with what we already have. We’re not waiting for top-down solutions — we’re activating the skills, spaces and stories that are already here.”

Participants will be invited to share ideas, identify local strengths and gaps, and contribute to a vision of what Stroud could become in the next few years. The meeting will conclude with an opportunity to sign a simple founding agreement and formally establish the Stroud Dementia Action Alliance.

How You Can Help

We need commitment from local people and organisations to play a part in promoting and implementing our shared plan. At the inaugural meeting, we will:

• Invite attendees to sign a simple memorandum establishing the Stroud DAA
• Look for volunteers to join the steering group
• Seek a membership secretary and someone to help promote the Alliance on social media
• Encourage everyone to consider –  and to commit to – a role, large or small, they might play in making Stroud more inclusive and dementia-friendly

Details of the event
Friday 23rd May
10.00am – 12 noon
 St Laurence’s Church, Stroud Town Centre

It would be good to know if you are able to attend and support us.
​If so please email John Colquhoun at:
[email protected]