A weekly music café is helping veterans living with dementia rediscover memories, combat isolation, and build lasting friendships is continuing its life-changing work thanks to a new £29,732 grant from the Veterans’ Foundation.
The funding will support Café Muse Hereford, a unique music-led dementia café run by the Orchestra of the Swan, where around 30 veterans and their families come together every week at The Courtyard in Hereford to enjoy live music, companionship, and specialist support in a safe and welcoming environment.
Each session blends live music, shared meals, and professional pastoral care delivered by experienced musicians and facilitators, including a military reservist and veteran, alongside specialists in veterans’ mental health and dementia care. Participants are encouraged to sing, dance, play instruments, or simply listen; organisers say the greatest impact reaches far beyond the music.
“The really special thing about the Hereford group is the community because of that tie of them being veterans,” said Lucy Samuels, Orchestra and Development Manager at Orchestra of the Swan.
“As soon as they walk into the room, they know they’ve got that experience in common. They meet up outside the sessions and have formed strong relationships.”
One unforgettable moment captures the project’s impact. During a session, musicians began playing Somewhere Over the Rainbow, the first dance at one veteran’s wedding. Usually quiet and reserved due to advanced dementia, he stood, turned to his wife, and silently offered his hand.
“Everyone in the room realised something special was happening and moved aside to give them space,” Lucy continued. “It was amazing to see that memory triggered by the music, when normally he wouldn’t have been able to discuss anything like that. I remember watching, and everyone was in floods of tears.”
“Orchestra of the Swan’s Café Muse Hereford shows the power of music to unlock memories, rebuild confidence, and bring families closer,” said Jane Gurney, CEO, Veterans’ Foundation. “We are proud to fund this vital work so that more veterans living with dementia can feel supported and connected.”
The grant will fund Café Muse Hereford for a further year, marking the third time the Foundation has supported the programme. The continued investment reflects the proven impact of providing free, weekly music-led dementia café sessions for veterans and their families, helping them live better with dementia, reducing isolation, and strengthening family connections.
The strength of the community is evident even when the venue is unavailable: many regulars still gather informally at the café rather than miss their weekly catch-up. “I always think that’s really special,” Lucy concluded. “It shows how important these sessions are as a regular checkpoint for them.”
About Cafe Muse Hereford
Café Muse Hereford is a weekly, music-led dementia café run by Orchestra of the Swan at The Courtyard in Hereford. The programme combines live music, shared meals, and specialist support for veterans living with dementia and their families, fostering connection, confidence, and wellbeing.
About Orchestra of the Swan
Orchestra of the Swan is a professional chamber orchestra known for its innovative programming and community engagement. The organisation delivers creative projects that use music to support health, wellbeing, and social connection across the Midlands and beyond.
About the Veterans’ Foundation
About the Veterans’ Foundation Founded in 2016, the Veterans’ Foundation is a grant‑giving charity dedicated to serving veterans and their communities across the UK. We back the people and organisations that understand and respond to the challenges facing veterans, their families and their communities. From national charities to local community initiatives, we support projects addressing key issues such as mental health, housing and community‑based support. As a grant‑giver, we partner strategically and measure outcomes to ensure impact for veterans and their communities. The Veterans’ Lottery — the UK’s largest single‑cause lottery — remains the main source of funding for the Foundation’s grants programme.
