Official Launch Of Age Exchange Partnership

Yesterday, we officially launched our partnership with Age Exchange, with a special launch event at their renowned national centre for reminiscence arts in Blackheath. The celebration was attended by over 50 special guests including dedicated colleagues, volunteers, trustees, and our very own Senior Leadership Team.

The local Mayor, Damien Egan and MP for Lewisham East, Janet Daby also honoured the event along with a wide range of sector organisations.

Attendees heard ambitious plans for the partnership from both Community Integrated Care CEO, Mark Adams and Age Exchange Chief Executive, Rebecca Packwood – highlighting how they will expand the reach of the industry-leading reminiscence and dementia services.

Guest speakers Sharon Allen, CEO of Skills For Care and Roy Lilley, from Academy of Fab Stuff, inspired the audience with incredible speeches about their personal experiences with dementia and the social care sector as a whole.

As part of the celebration, volunteers hosted personal tours of the Blackheath centre which included a curated display of reminiscence art, all created by people who use Age Exchange services.

Rebecca Packwood, CEO of Age Exchange, said: “We have had a fantastic day launching our partnership, it has been a great opportunity, just to say what the partnership means for us, in terms of growing for the future and helping more and more people with our specialist dementia services.”

Mark Adams, CEO of Community Integrated Care, added: “It has been incredible to honour our partnership today alongside the dedicated colleagues, volunteers and trustees at Age Exchange. Our guest speakers, Sharon Allen and Roy Lilley were just exceptional. Everybody is incredibly excited about what Age Exchange and Community Integrated Care can do together. We are looking forward to working with more charities to continually develop and improve our offer to the people we care for, as well as supporting our charitable principles.”

Sharon Allen, CEO of Skills For Care, said: “Bringing together the strengths of these two organisations is going to be fantastic to ensure that people have more access to arts and creativity. I’m really excited to see what happens next.”

Roy Lilley, Academy of Fab Stuff, added: “I feel like I’ve been here at a time when history has been made here today, I’m very pleased to have been here and I wish them both all the best with their partnership.”