Venue Description

Age Exchange is a national centre for Reminiscence Arts and dementia intervention. We create intergenerational projects and we are also a vibrant community hub in the heart of south east London. Our centre hosts a not-for-profit cafe, is home to a Community Library, and runs classes for people of all ages. Our charity runs a number of outreach programs for people living with dementia and their carers, including several weekly activity groups at our centre. We also offer a Daycare service at two locations and offer 1:1 support to people who are unable to leave their homes.

Accessibility

We have a lift for disabled/wheelchair access to all floors of our centre, plus a wheelchair lift in our cafe garden for entrance via the rear of the building

Accessible Performances

Age Exchange is home to the Bakehouse Theatre where many of our classes, our own Theatre Company (Age Exchange Theatre Trust) and other local theatre groups and exercise classes rent space.

Awards List

Winner of Time Out Londpn's Best Cafe (Blackheath) Shortlisted for the Guardian's Charity of the Year Award 2016

Toilets

Our centre has unisex toilets with baby changing facitlities and wheelchair access to all stalls

Staff

As Age Exchange is a charity working to improve the lives of older people and people living with dementia, all of our staff and volunteers are trained at the very least in Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and Children. Other members of staff onsite include Occupational Therapists, registered and qualified art therapists and teachers. There are a number of trained first-aiders on site. Members of staff who work directly with people living with dementia are trained in using Reminiscence Arts techniques, which is engaging people who may be living with memory loss or other physical and mental health conditions. Our centre staff are responsible for ensuring the safety of our centre visitors, and the majority of our cafe and library staff have also undertaken Reminiscence Arts training courses.

Assistance dog facilities

Assistance dog exercise facilities

Dogs for vision and hearing impaired visitors are welcome in our centre, which is located by the heath at Blackheath

Other assistance dog facilities

Our cafe is more than happy to provide water bowls for assistance dogs, however dog waste can only be found in close proximity to the centre.