A group of local non-profit organisations aims to convert the former Devon County Council Tumbly Hill site into a community health and wellbeing hub for all ages, but with a focus on supporting families living with dementia. The hub also aims to support those with learning and thinking differences, mental ill health, social isolation, and loneliness.  

The group, comprising Next Steps Together (NeST), Livewell Southwest, and South Hams Community Action, are on a mission to transform the way we approach dementia care in the community. As NeST’s Clinical Director and CEO Suzi Garrod, explained, “People are crying out for the practical, emotional, and social support they need for family members living with mild to moderate dementia, especially where they themselves are the primary caregivers. We want to keep our elderly loved ones in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. We can also save the NHS and taxpayers a huge amount of money in doing so.” To meet this critical need, the new Dementia Meeting Centre at Tumbly Hill plans to operate three days a week and include a weekly drop-in memory café, cognitive stimulation therapies, individual counselling, complementary therapies, and support groups – all focused on supporting families living with dementia in and around Kingsbridge.  

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Whilst the organisers are grateful to Devon County Council for being fully behind the project, the funding needs to be found elsewhere. To this end, a National Lottery application has recently been submitted for a two year Community Health and Wellbeing Hub development plan. This plan would also make facilities at Tumbly Hill available for drop-in family and children’s services, support for young people and adults with neurodiversity and for other mental health service provision, community groups and individuals.  

“This is an ambitious and achievable project,” said Ms Garrod. “Tumbly Hill has immense potential but we’re running out of time to raise the funds. We need to raise £25,000 by the end of August to secure the lease and running costs for the next 12 months and give us time to source alternative funding if the National Lottery application is unsuccessful. If we fail to raise this sum, the lease will revert to the building’s owners, who will convert it into more flats.  

Caroline Voaden, the new MP for South Devon, visited Tumbly Hill last year to attend one of the steering group’s engagement workshops. She posted the following on her social media page at the time in support of the project: “[Tumbly Hill] is a fabulous resource for all the voluntary and statutory services in the Kingsbridge area to use, with loads of potential for private hire as well. It’s an ambitious and exciting project and I’m very happy to support this work in any way I can”. 

If you like the idea of having a Dementia Meeting Centre and a Health and Wellbeing Community Hub for all age groups for Kingsbridge and surrounding areas, please complete our short survey and pledge your support to the Crowdfunder, following the links below or contact Suzi Garrod on [email protected]  for further details.  

Tumbly Hill Community Survey: https://forms.office.com/e/HaVKmw6GYX