This year has seen a renewed and substantial increase in our VAT campaign . We have, in the course of the year, met with a number of local MPs from our regions and discussed with them this issue, including Rachel Gilmour , Caroline Voaden , Steve Race , Sir Mel Stride , Andy McNae , Steve Darling and Sir Ashley Fox . Caroline Voaden was actively engaged with us earlier this year, leading a House of Commons debate on dementia in which she directly highlighted our VAT concern

Emma Bottomley hosts a Filo group in her home in Somerton. After twenty years in graphic design, she retrained as a Creative Arts Facilitator and began hosting with The Filo Project this summer. Emma Bottomley - Filo Host “The commercial world of design wasn’t giving me the people-facing element I craved for. I came across The Filo Project while I was researching local dementia care as part of my Creative Arts Therapy course. I knew as soon as I read about them, I had to be a

Liz Dennis, Co-founder and Director of The Filo Project The Filo Project is a ‘care provider’, but it’s interesting to ponder just what that phrase means and whether it fully captures the nature of the relationships we see every day. The boundaries between giving and receiving care can become beautifully blurred, revealing a more mutual, human exchange than the phrase might suggest. Recently, a new member of our communications team went to visit a group and was struck by the

Tom was a passionate advocate for human rights, dedicating much of his life to Amnesty International UK. He served on the board, taking on roles as Chair and Vice Chair, and was deeply committed to helping others. Tom Hedley - partner of Lin and Filo client He had a keen interest in politics and sports and thrived in social environments. But, during the COVID-19 lockdown, his partner of 35 years, Lin, began to notice the early signs of dementia. Having experienced dementia wi

Every day, 12,000 people in the UK become unpaid carers for a partner, family member, or friend. It's a responsibility that can be both...

We are thrilled to announce that The Filo Project is set to expand into Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) in 2025.  This exciting move brings a fresh, affordable alternative to traditional dementia day centres and residential care, while also creating fulfilling employment opportunities for local people who become hosts and area coordinators. In early 2025, the first Filo groups will launch in Christchurch, Highcliffe, and Poole. Over the following months, more group

New Alzheimer's drugs like lecanemab offer long overdue hope that dementia could one day become a treatable condition. But the promise of new drugs mustn't detract from the urgent need for investment in our struggling social care system. We must tackle dementia as a social issue, not just a medical one. Social isolation is as detrimental to health as obesity and smoking, and linked to the risk of developing and worsening dementia. That's why to tackle dementia we need to focu

It has now been announced that lecanemab, the first drug to slow the progression of early stage Alzheimer’s will not be available on the NHS in England because NICE states that the benefits “are too small to justify the costs.” According to the BBC, Dr Samantha Roberts, chief executive of NICE, said the body had rigorously evaluated the available evidence, including the benefit for carers, but could only recommend treatments that "offer good value to the taxpayer.” The drug o