At Milborne Port a dementia-friendly service has been created to offer familiarity, calm, and connection for those living with dementia and the people who care for them. Priest in Charge, Revd Rona Stuart-Bourne developed the service in response to a growing need locally, “It’s a dementia-friendly service we hold once a month in the Church Hall in at Milborne Port, on the third Saturday of the month. It’s become a space where people feel they can come as they are. We call it Memory Lane.”
The service takes place in a relaxed setting and the worship is shaped by those who attend. A member of Rona’s congregation brings homemade cakes and biscuits and serves tea, creating a warm, steady environment, where people feel at ease.
To support those who attend, the service follows a simple structure, and we believe that consistency has been key. Rona shares her approach “I didn’t want to try something one month and then change it the next. That’s not helpful when memory is fragile. So, we’ve kept it steady. The same structure and prayers, the same songs, the same rhythm. It’s not complicated, and it doesn’t need to be.
“As people arrive, I always ask, ‘What would you like to sing today?’ We’ve built up a booklet of favourite hymns; with favourites such as ‘Abide With Me’, ‘We Plough the Fields and Scatter’, ‘Amazing Grace’. These are hymns people know from school, weddings, or other key moments. You can see the recognition on their faces as soon as the first lines begin.”
The prayers are also chosen for familiarity. The team use prayers people remember, such as the Serenity Prayer, The Lord’s Prayer and a hand prayer: each finger stands for a group to pray for.
With the focus on being together and creating a space that feels safe, Memory Lane has also become a special service for carers of those living with dementia. Rona says carers often feel very alone and this time offers them support and friendship, “For people caring for someone with dementia, that hour on a Saturday can be a real moment of rest. They’re not on display. They’re not being tested. They’re just welcome.
“Often, they use the time to talk with each other. Someone will say, ‘This is what we’ve been going through,’ or ‘Have you heard about this support?’ It’s become a space for sharing, not just spiritually, but practically as well. It’s not complicated. It’s just about showing up, making room for people, and listening to what’s needed.”
Rona believes that even though the service is only once a month, its impact extends well beyond that time. “It’s not about running big programmes or launching initiatives. It’s about asking, ‘What’s needed here?’ and listening to what the community says in return.”
Rona has shared the service and hymns so that others who wish can use them where they are. Please do download them from the bottom of this page.