Dementia Connect Carers Group (North Ayrshire) was set up in late January 2026 by Mike, after his partner Fiona was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at 55.
After six months of researching what support existed for dementia carers in our local area, Mike was unhappy with the limited resources that were out there. He used what he learned to build a better future for those walking the same path as him.
The Dementia Support Pack
The DSP is a key part of this group, covering financial aid, support for carers, guidance for loved ones, lifestyle advice on diet and brain health, plus checklists and record sheets to keep everything in one place. Mike calls it “an invisible carer,” something that supports you while you’re dealing with grief, doubt and confusion.
What makes the DSP different is that the information comes to carers, rather than carers having to go looking for it. As Mike puts it: “Carers don’t know what they don’t know.” The pack lets people skim through and pick out what matters to them and their loved one right now. Everything else can wait until they’re ready for it.
Bringing People Together
Next came (Get) TUIT, a monthly list pulling together activities for dementia carers and loved ones in one place. The group believes strongly in the value of socialising and sharing your story, both to make sense of your own journey and to let others know they’re not walking it alone. It’s a small act of paying it forward, and it’s also helping build North Ayrshire into a more dementia-friendly place, one connection at a time.
There’s a Facebook page too, though don’t expect it to be all serious. The page is designed to bring a bit of lightness and laughter into people’s day, alongside the more serious support on offer.
We’re Still Game! and The Howlers
Every time the last Thursday of the month comes around, the group meet up in Irvine for something called “We’re Still Game!” This gives carers and their loved ones a chance to catch up and stay in the loop about what’s coming next.
Interestingly, this name originates from their first-ever meeting, when everyone forgot why they gathered and just had a nice time together. This is why Dementia Connect Carers is really more than just a support group!
After that, the group runs a singing session called The Howlers, where enthusiasm beats talent, gusto beats harmony, and fun beats seriousness every time.
What’s Next
The group has just finished putting together a dementia pathway and SUNDOWN, a simple checker to help families work out whether memory changes are down to old age or something more.
Membership has grown to over 70, though there’s still a long way to go. It’s estimated that around 2,300 people are caring for someone with dementia across North Ayrshire. Still, the group isn’t chasing numbers for their own sake. “Scale is irrelevant,” Mike says, “impact is personal.”
One idea the group keeps coming back to is the need for a dementia-specific community bus, to help link people up and get them out of isolation and into a social life built around peer support.
Build It and They Will Come
The group’s approach is best summed up by a line from Field of Dreams: “Build it and they will come.” Support is being built for the dementia community in North Ayrshire, and people are finding their way to it, one carer, one loved one, and one connection at a time.
Find out more on the Dementia Connect Facebook page.
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