A new UK social-purpose organisation has officially launched its pilot scheme to help care homes capture residents’ stories, voices and lived experience in a way that fits real care environments.
Memory Makers, which is initially launching within the care sector but with plans to roll out in a community and domestic setting in the future, is a storytelling and reminiscence framework and has a goal of capturing 1,000,000 memories.
Characterised by its combination of a simple, dementia-friendly app and a clear storytelling framework that helps care teams record meaningful conversations using guided prompts, video, audio and photos, it is unlike anything else currently in the market.
Life story work is widely acknowledged as fundamental to good dementia care, yet many care homes struggle to embed it consistently. Time pressures, staff turnover and the emotional demands of care can mean that valuable memories are lost – particularly when residents’ capacity fluctuates or families are not always present. This inspired Cheshire-based founder, Gareth Williams, to work alongside care professionals and people living with dementia to develop Memory Makers.
The new initiative was officially launched on Thursday 29th January at The Thursday Group, a dementia-friendly community group based in Nantwich, Cheshire.
More than 25 members gathered at St Mary’s Hall to take part in the first-ever Memory Makers workshop, where stories, moments and memories were shared and recorded using the new Memory Makers app. These became the first memories captured as part of the organisation’s long-term goal to preserve one million memories.
The organisation, which has been three years in the making, is now looking to expand its pilot and roll out the framework in care homes across the UK.
Commenting on the initial launch, founder of Memory Makers, Gareth Williams, said: “When care teams start using Memory Makers, the feedback is often the same: it feels human. Not clinical or complicated, just something that fits into the reality of everyday care. We’re told it helps teams show who someone really is, not just what care they need, and makes person-centred care easier to share with families. As one care leader said to us early on, “This isn’t documentation – it’s legacy.”
“We’re now opening up the UK pilot and inviting more care homes to help shape what Memory Makers becomes next. We’ll work closely with pilot partners, listen carefully, and make sure this grows in a way that feels sustainable for staff, comforting for residents and reassuring for families. As a social-purpose organisation, our approach is simple: listen first, move gently, and build something that truly works in real care settings.”
To learn more about Memory Makers or to discuss joining its pilot stage please visit https://memory-makers.org/.
