Applications are now open for grants of between £3,000 and £15,000 to community-based organisations in Scotland delivering activities and support that help people affected by dementia stay connected, supported and involved in their communities.
Funding for community groups supporting people living with dementia and unpaid carers.
Age Scotland, supported by funding from the Scottish Government, is offering grants of between £3,000 – £15,000 to community-based organisations across Scotland that support people living with dementia and unpaid carers. This funding is for activities and programmes taking place 1 April 2027 – 31 March 2028.
The Encouraging and Supporting Grassroots Activity (ESGA) Fund helps local groups deliver activities that reduce isolation, improve wellbeing and strengthen community support for people affected by dementia.
Since the fund launched, more than £1.2 million has been awarded to grassroots organisations across Scotland.
Applications for the 2027 funding round are now open.
Anyone affected by dementia is welcome to attend a community dementia day on Wednesday, 26 August, 2026 at the Craighall Centre, 210 Ferry Rd, Edinburgh from 10am to 3.30pm.
There will be a range of healthcare professionals on hand to give advice and information, see our website for more info:
People with dementia and their family or carers are welcome to attend the community dementia day event on Wednesday, 26 August, 2026.
Those with the condition, worried about their memory or waiting for a formal diagnosis, are welcome to attend at the Craighall Centre, 210 Ferry Rd, Edinburgh from 10am to 3.30pm.
There will be a range of healthcare professionals on hand to give advice and information including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Dieticians, Podiatrists and Music Therapists.
There will also be stalls from organisations, such as Alzheimer Scotland, VOCAL, Meeting Centres and Edinburgh Leisure.
The event will be held in the large hall in the Craighall Centre, at the opposite end of the building to the Memory Assessment and Treatment Service. It has a separate entrance which will be signposted.
There is limited parking at the centre, but free on-street parking is available nearby.
The number 14 and 21 buses stop outside the centre
Refreshments will be available
For more information phone Morna Russell on 0131 286 9620
On Friday (7th August) from 2.30pm – 3.30pm staff and residents at Queens Manor care home in Barnton will be dusting off their dancing shoes, leg warmers and glowsticks for the launch of their new Dementia Disco initiative which will take place very aptly during Dementia Action Week.
Knowing how much their residents living with dementia love to dance and sing, the activities team at Queens Manor care home came up with the genius idea of a dementia-friendly disco. The team is also inviting along relatives and loved ones, members of the local community and friends of the home to the first official dementia-friendly disco.
If you and your loved ones or community group would like to attend, please contact the home to book a place, email QueensManor@barchester.com /call 0131 339 9653.
The first Dementia Disco will take place on Friday 7th August from 2.30pm within the home’s dementia community and everyone is welcome to attend.
General Manager, Margaret-Ann Davidson comments: “The Dementia Disco will be a fantastic way to connect with others in a relaxed and supportive environment.
“We know the power of music brings joy and reminiscence for those living with dementia, their families and caregivers. Everyone is welcome – we’re really looking forward to making more friends in our local community.
“If anyone is unable to make it on the day but would like to pop in for a chat and a cup of tea, our doors are always open.”
Queens Manor care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering high-quality care across its care homes and hospitals. Queens Manor Care Home provides residential and dementia care for 60 of residents from respite breaks to long term stays.
We’re seeking your views on the proposed digitalisation of information that helps trace missing people living with dementia.
As part of the Herbert Protocol, families/carers can obtain, print and complete a pro-forma document from the Police Scotland website that is handed to investigating officers whenever someone with dementia goes missing.
The form records a range of useful information which will allow police to respond swiftly during the crucial first hour – rather than spend it gathering information.
At present, families and carers are responsible for owning, updating and providing this document to police.
Read more about the Herbert Protocol and get the link to our consultation survey here:
A former business executive is swapping spreadsheets for songs to perform for people with dementia at the Edinburgh Fringe in memory of his father.
Johnny Collington, 62, who lives in the capital, first picked up the instrument in a bid to connect with his dad Stan, who had recently been diagnosed with dementia. Stan, originally from Motherwell, passed away in February aged 99.
Johnny is now registered to perform a series of shows at the Fringe in August to raise funds for Alzheimer Scotland.
The married dad-of-two, who was born in Irvine but grew up in Lanarkshire, said: “I had been living and working in London for many years, but I took early retirement and moved back to Scotland, to Edinburgh, about six years ago. My mum Betty had passed away and my dad was in his early 90s and needed more support.
“My dad was diagnosed initially with severe cognitive impairment but his condition progressed quickly to dementia. He moved into a care home and soon could no longer communicate.
“I’d never been much of a musician in the past, but I owned a guitar and knew a few chords. By chance I took the guitar with me to visit dad and tried to play and sing a couple of traditional Scottish songs that I knew he liked.
“Amazingly, as soon as I started playing I could see him connect with me and start singing along. It was remarkable how he suddenly came to life. I realised then that music is a great connector.
“From that point I started seriously teaching myself how to play the guitar and looked for more songs to sing – anything quite traditionally Scottish with a good beat is always a winner.”
Before long, Johnny was asked by the manager of his dad’s care home if he would play for all the residents – many of whom also had dementia. Word soon spread and he now plays at 12 care homes, centres and other venues from Perth to North Lanarkshire and across the east coast, including at Alzheimer Scotland’s outdoor dementia resource centre at Lauriston Castle.
Johnny said: “I get the same reaction from the other people with dementia who I play for as I did from my dad. It’s fantastic how everyone brightens up when they hear the music and join in.
“One chap who was non-verbal and would usually seem quite disconnected, suddenly sat up, took a tambourine and started hitting it in time with the music.
“I’m a bit nervous about the Fringe but also really looking forward to performing and being part of such a world-famous festival. My shows are aimed at people with dementia but also to anyone who enjoys traditional Scottish music. It feels great to be on a new journey now and to be able to give back to the community.
“I want to keep doing what I can to bring music to people living with dementia and to support the amazing work of Alzheimer Scotland for as long as I can.”
Johnny Collington will be performing his show, Singalong for Scotland, at the LifeCare Centre in Cheyne Street, Stockbridge, each day from August 7 to 14, from 3pm to 4pm. Find out more at: www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/sing-a-long-scotland
Find out more about Alzheimer Scotland at www.alzscot.org, or call their 24 hour Freephone Dementia Helpline at 0808 808 3000.
Over a quarter of a million pounds has been given to 25 dementia projects across Scotland to support the growth of community-led support for people living with dementia, their carers and family members.
Age Scotland’s dementia ‘Encouraging and Supporting Grassroots Activity’ (ESGA) fund is providing a total of £314,662 in community grants to groups across Scotland.
These grants have been supported by Scottish Government funding, allocated via a National Dementia Resilient Communities Programme Board made up of lived experience voices, local and national partners.
This funding, and the work of the Board, supports the aims of the new National Dementia Strategy, particularly in building resilience and sustainability in community support for people living with dementia and unpaid carers.
Funding decisions were made in collaboration with a lived experience panel of people living with dementia and unpaid carers, ensuring that those with first-hand insight played a key role in shaping the allocation of grants.
The 25 successfully funded projects are:
Beith Community Development Trust (North Ayrshire)
Big Hearts Community Trust (Edinburgh)
Feniks (Edinburgh)
Networking Key Services (Edinburgh)
Boots and Beards (Glasgow)
Wing Hong Chinese Elderly Centre (Glasgow)
Central Wellbeing (Falkirk)
Cobhair Bharraigh (Western Isles)
Community Connectors (Moray)
Connecting Carers (Highland)
Raddery House / Inverness Openarts (Highland)
Craignish Community Company (Argyll and Bute)
Dementia Friendly Aberfeldy (Perth and Kinross)
Dementia Friendly Prestwick (South Ayrshire)
Friends of Dundonald Castle (South Ayrshire)
DG Voice (Dumfries and Galloway)
Forget Me Not Club (Aberdeenshire)
Inchgarth Community Centre (Aberdeen city)
Friends of Kilsyth (North Lanarkshire)
North Lanarkshire Muslim Women & Family Alliance (NLMWFA) (North Lanarkshire)
Inspiring Communities (Stirling)
Lyle Gateway (Inverclyde)
Montrose Connections (Angus)
Past Times (South Lanarkshire)
Peebles Old Parish Church (Scottish Borders)
Grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 will be distributed by April 2026 and will allow communities to deliver projects and realise the benefits and impact of their work as soon as possible.
Anna Clements, Head of Dementia at Age Scotland, said:“We were blown away by the number of applications and are proud to announce the recipients of one of our largest allocations of ESGA funding to date.
“From towns and cities to islands and remote areas in different corners of Scotland, it’s inspiring to see such a diverse range of projects receiving funding to help people living with dementia, their carers, and families stay connected and supported in their communities.
“This year we made a conscious effort to ensure a broad spread of grant holders across Scotland, particularly in rural areas and projects supporting people from ethnic minority communities, where access to dementia services can be especially limited and underrepresented.
“We look forward to seeing the funding in action across the country and are confident the projects will play a vital role in empowering people to live well with dementia.”
Funded grassroots dementia projects thriving:
The Forget Me Notes Project is a singing group which aims to create inclusive choirs for everyone, including people living with dementia.
The organisation is based in Edinburgh and hosts weekly sessions alternating between Saughton Park and The Salvation Army on Gorgie Road.
It also runs an online Zoom choir which attracts participants from across the UK.
While these choirs had already been running for two years, it was only when funding from About Dementia was secured last year that the choirs became weekly offerings, enabling them to recruit new volunteers to provide assistance to members.
Alan Midwinter, chief executive of The Forget Me Notes Project, said: “The grant was used to consolidate our work and make it consistent, we wouldn’t be able to keep it going as much without it.”
On a warm sunny day Alan says between 70 to 80 people usually turn up at the outdoor Choir In The Park, including many people living with dementia and unpaid carers.
On colder or wet days, the group move into the park’s glasshouse to sing.
Alan added: “People with dementia who attend our choirs get a sense of achievement, community involvement, its inclusive for people who might be genuinely isolated.”
The Eric Liddell Community’s manifesto sets out five crucial priorities to support the estimated 90,000 people living with dementia in Scotland
Edinburgh based care and specialist dementia charity, The Eric Liddell Community, has launched its 2026 Manifesto, ‘Priorities and evidence-based recommendations for the next Scottish Parliament’, setting out five urgent priorities to better support people living with dementia, unpaid carers, volunteers, and the communities that rely on them.
With an estimated 90,000 people living with dementia in Scotland, The Eric Liddell Community says the gap between the vision and commitments made in policy are very different from reality. There are rising costs, reduced statutory funding and an increase in demand for these services due to an ageing population, putting immense pressure on charities.
Founded over 45 years ago, The Eric Liddell Community has long supported people living with dementia and their carers, and is now calling on political parties, candidates and policymakers to recognise voluntary organisations as essential partners in addressing societal challenges and delivering services that communities rely on.
“We ask to be recognised, not as a ‘nice to have’, but as a lifeline for many.”
Irene Adams OBE, Chair of The Eric Liddell Community, comments:“Every day we see the difference that care, compassion, and community make to people living with dementia and also to the unpaid carers volunteering their time.
“This means we also see the consequences when we are underfunded and under supported. We urge all Scottish parties to listen to their communities and work with the third sector by turning policy into reality for people who most need the support.”
While Scotland is recognised for its progression with dementia policy, The Eric Liddell Community states that not enough people are able to access these dementia services and support. In addition, 37% of the Scottish adult population (1.7 million people) have provided unpaid care at some point in their lives. The value of this support totals £15.9 billion each year.
The manifesto is built upon 5 urgent priorities for the next Scottish Government, turn policy dementia into reality, take immediate action to address the third sector funding crisis, deliver unpaid carers a legal right to breaks in practice, ensure social care reform improves real experiences and value the importance of volunteers.
To read the full Eric Liddell Community Manifesto for 2026, please visit:Manifesto.
John MacMillan MBE, CEO of The Eric Liddell Community, added:“Our work shows the powerful impact that care and strong community support can make on the growing dementia challenge in Scotland.
“We see the real struggle caused by underfunding and lack of support and hope the Scottish parties will work with the third sector to deliver support where it is most needed.”
The Eric Liddell Community supports thousands of people each year with befriending services, carer’s programmes and a community filled with volunteer-led activities. Their mission is to bring people together in their local communities and have a positive impact on their lives.
To find out more about The Eric Liddell Community please visit: ericliddell.org
How personal playlists can help someone live well with dementia
Tips for finding music that sparks memories, conversation, and connection
Simple ways to listen – no technology experience is needed to enjoy playlists!
An opportunity to share songs from your own playlist and connect with others
Book here: 
Real life stories of how personalised music supports wellbeing
How community organisations are harnessing the power of personalised music to support people affected by dementia
How health and social care professionals are using personalised playlists in dementia care
