Press Releases

Museums Inspiring Memories, a three-year partnership project with Alzheimer’s Society and funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, is focused on developing and delivering practical ways to engage with and improve the wellbeing of people affected by dementia, through access to museum resources and sites. 

Together with the Dementia Voice in Heritage Group – which steers and shapes the work of the project - the Museums Inspiring Memories team have developed and launched three pieces of work across Amgueddfa Cymru’s seven national museums and National Collections Centre:

• An Activities Programme is currently being rolled out across all museums. Whether it’s being inspired by our collections, taking part in some light crafts, enjoying a creative session such as drumming or visiting the beehives at one of our museums, the breadth of what’s on offer is vast. Activities differ at each museum, with activities added onto the ‘Wellbeing events’ section of the website as and when they’re ready: Wellbeing Events.

• The Supporting People Affected by Dementia Training Package, launched in early May 2024 at St Fagans, has been developed to upskill members of staff and volunteers across Amgueddfa Cymru’s departments in supporting visitors affected by dementia. Developed in partnership with the community and partner organisations, and with the wider heritage sector in mind, all resources that form this training are available to any heritage organisation wanting to develop in this area, whether it be as a complement to what they’re already doing, or as a first step. 

• The Supporter’s Package is a session available to anyone supporting a person living with dementia, paid or unpaid, with the intention of encouraging greater use of heritage and cultural spaces with those they care for. Each session takes place at one of our museums and includes an onsite walk to discuss the facilities available, the physical spaces and things to consider when looking to visit. As well as looking at what is available at the museum, each session also explores heritage resources which can be enjoyed at home at no cost.

A care sector worker who took part in the session said:

“I was inspired to incorporate heritage more…to benefit the individuals we work with. [It also showed] that there is access to these facilities which can benefit carers too.”

Alzheimer’s Society Cymru’s Local Communities & Volunteering Lead Richie Maiorano, said:

“According to the Welsh Government, in Wales, half of people with dementia don't have a diagnosis. At Alzheimer’s Society we help people make the most of life with dementia, supporting them through some of the hardest and most frightening times.

For many of us, museums and heritage sites are incredibly important and are a constant feature throughout our lifetime. 

We are delighted to be collaborating with Amgueddfa Cymru on the Museums Inspiring Memories Project. We are very proud of the partnership and look forward to continuing our work with Amgueddfa Cymru."

Amgueddfa Cymru continues to work to put the dementia voice at the heart of everything it does, and the contents of the packages have been informed by conversations and consultations with the dementia community. 
With further research and by working closely with our Dementia Voice in Heritage Group, Amgueddfa Cymru is excited to use these resources to make meaningful changes.

As an addition to the work already taking place as part of Museums Inspiring Memories, the team have also contributed, with other Welsh museums, to a special app package aimed at supporting LGBTQ+ community members across Wales who are living with dementia.

Created alongside National Museums Liverpool’s House of Memories dementia programme, LGBTQ+ in Wales will evoke memories of queer Welsh history and is an addition to the House of Memories Cymru programme.

Mark Etheridge, Principal Curator of Collection Development: LGBTQ+ at Amgueddfa Cymru said: 

“Amgueddfa Cymru has been building up an LGBTQ+ collection over the past few years and it is great to see the collection being used in new and interesting ways. In February 2025, during LGBTQ+ History Month, Amgueddfa Cymru opened its first permanent LGBTQ+ history case in the gallery at St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff. As well as this, there are a number of LGBTQ+ history items that can be seen across the displays at St Fagans.”

Nia Williams, Director of Experience, Learning & Engagement at Amgueddfa Cymru said: 

“Museums can engage with people’s memories and their emotions. I would like to thank the Dementia Voice in Heritage Group, the Alzheimer’s society, as well as all the individuals living with dementia and their carers and partner organisations who have collaborated with us. Together, we have created meaningful experiences and stimulating activities to improve the wellbeing of all those affected by dementia. 

We are also extremely proud to have contributed to the House of Memories Cymru app and its LGBTQ+ package. This resource will both support the opportunities that we host at Amgueddfa Cymru museums, as well as give access to items from the collections to those who are affected by dementia and unable to visit our museums. 

I would also like to thank our funders the National Lottery Community Fund who have made this work possible and who realise the potential that cultural participation has on improving people’s wellbeing.”

It is hoped these activities will provide opportunities for people affected by dementia to remain connected to our national collection and the stories that they tell, whilst also providing communities with lifelong learning opportunities to share and explore their own stories.

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Further information 
Sharon Ford
Health & Wellbeing Programme Manager for Amgueddfa Cymru 
sharon.ford@museumwales.ac.uk 
02920 573681

Gareth Rees
Dementia Voice Lead for Amgueddfa Cymru
gareth.rees@museumwales.ac.uk
02920 573 418

Notes to editor

Amgueddfa Cymru

Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales is a charity and a family of seven national museums and one collections centre located across Wales. Our sites are vital community spaces that reach far beyond their location on a map. Our aim is to inspire everyone we reach through Wales’s story and we recognise that everyone has something to contribute through our museums collections and the work we do. Funded by the Welsh Government, entrance is free to all of our sites.

We have over 500 members of staff and welcome around 1.8 million visitors a year. Beyond our physical sites, we also have over 5 million objects in our collections, embracing arts and design, history and archaeology and natural sciences. 

Our museums are the National Slate Museum, National Wool Museum, National Waterfront Museum, National Collections Centre, St Fagans National Museum of History, National Museum Cardiff, National Roman Legion Museum and Big Pit National Coal Museum. 
https://museum.wales/

Museums Inspiring Memories

Museums Inspiring Memories is a three-year project led by Amgueddfa Cymru in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society Cymru and is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. Starting in April 2022 and building on our existing programme of dementia-friendly museum activities, the project aims to work with people living with dementia, unpaid carers, care sector staff, heritage sector colleagues, and partners across Wales, to develop and deliver practical ways to engage with and improve the wellbeing of people affected by dementia, through access to museum resources and sites.

Museums Inspiring Memories

House of Memories   

House of Memories is National Museums Liverpool’s museum-led dementia awareness training programme. It offers training, resources and activities to enable caregivers to provide person-centred care for people to live well with dementia.   

National Museums Liverpool launched House of Memories at the Museum of Liverpool in 2012, working with people in the health and social care sector and training more than 12,500 caregivers across the UK and internationally to date. Part of the programme includes the multi-award-winning My House of Memories app; a digital app designed in consultation with people living with dementia and their caregivers, and the first of its kind in the world, which was launched at the House of Commons in 2014.   
houseofmemories.co.uk  

House of Memories’ LGBTQ+ in Wales app package is available now through the My House of Memories App. For more information on the project, House of Memories workshops and to find out how you can download the app, visit: www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/house-of-memories.