Our Charity

Our community, a Registered Charity, is dedicated to providing a range of accessible and flexible groups. Our aim is to offer a wide range of activities which provide cognitive and physical stimulation in a safe and supportive space. Our groups are for people in all stages of dementia, diagnosed or not, and those who support them.

As a community we challenge existing stereotypes of dementia which are often associated with the later stages of cognitive decline. Our focus is on what people can still do and how we can use their skills and experiences together.

Tibbs Dementia Foundation takes its name from Margaret-Anne Tibbs who is known locally and nationally for her work in the field of dementia for over 35 years. She worked with Tom Kitwood at Bradford Dementia Group, who pioneered the shift away from the purely medical approach to dementia. He may be described as the most significant psychologist in the field of dementia. Working in the 1990’s he pioneered a new approach to dementia by replacing the principles of the bio-medical approach with Person-Centred care. This places the person at the centre instead of the services on offer. Summed up by him – “instead of the person with DEMENTIA we see the PERSON with dementia.”

Another influence was the pioneering Scottish Dementia Working Group. These people living with dementia began to advocate on behalf of everyone with the condition, providing another challenge to the bio-medical model. In the following years, the DEEP (Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project) organisation has developed a national network of groups following the SDWG model.

Through many years of practice in social work MA realised that the care partners of people living with dementia need as much support as they do. This needs to be readily available and ongoing. The model of time limited interventions, as offered in response to increasing financial pressures by Social Care and the NHS is never going to be enough. The goal must be to provide scaffolding of care and support for as long as it is needed.

In 2013, Sarah Russell, our CEO and Jeni Melia our lead Music Therapist came together with Margaret-Anne to create Tibbs Dementia Foundation which gained charitable status in 2016.

In 2018 we were privileged to receive the Queens Award for Voluntary Service (the MBE for charities) for our work in the field of dementia.

Our aim is to help people to live the best life possible through our inclusive and holistic approach. As a person with dementia recently said “Tibbs is helping me to be myself for as long as possible”.