Memory Matters: Strengthening Brain Health Across Birmingham

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Did you know up to 45% of dementia cases may be linked to risk factors we can influence?

The Memory Matters campaign empowers people to take control where it matters most.

Birmingham Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust has launched the Memory Matters Programme in partnership with Age Connects West Midlands and Alzheimer's Society, and funded by Fairer Futures until March 2028, to transform how dementia is understood, identified, and supported across Birmingham.

For more information please see Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust - Memory Matters

At its core, the project is about raising awareness of brain health, improving early engagement, and ensuring every community has access to culturally responsive, high‑quality dementia care.

The project aims to make brain health a shared priority, empowering individuals, families, and professionals to recognise changes earlier, seek support sooner, and feel confident navigating the dementia journey.

• Enhance Primary Care Dementia Pathways: Strengthen early engagement and improve quality of life by creating clearer, digitalised care pathways and delivering structured dementia and brain‑health training for primary care teams.
• Implement a Primary Care Dementia Pathway Model: Introduce a new primary care–based assessment and post‑diagnostic support model that improves patient experience, increases diagnostic rates, and reduces waiting times for non‑complex dementias, ensuring people receive timely, accessible support.
• Strengthen Post‑Diagnostic Support: Expand culturally sensitive, community‑rooted support that reflects Birmingham’s diversity. This includes raising awareness of brain health within communities where dementia is often under‑recognised or misunderstood.
• Address Health Inequalities: Build trust and improve experiences for underrepresented groups through targeted engagement, culturally informed communication, and collaboration with Voluntary Community Faith and Social Enterprise partners who already play a vital role in community brain‑health awareness.
• Enhance Partnership Working: Support locality‑level dementia care through active participation in multi‑agency and frailty meetings, promoting a more integrated and equitable approach.