WELLINGTON’S largest charity Reminiscence Learning is leaving the town next month in a relocation aimed at meeting the changing needs of its client base.

Reminiscence Learning, which has built a national reputation for its work in the field of dementia, has been based in Tonedale since 2015.

But increasing concerns over the past 18 months about the state of the property it leases in Tonedale Mill have seen chief executive Fiona Mahoney search for a new headquarters.

Hamlands, the new headquarters for Wellington charity Reminiscence Learning.
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Despite support from Wellington Town Council it was unable to find a suitable building in the town itself.

Now, the multi award-winning charity is to move to Hamlands, a 1,916 sq ft bungalow on the Camelot House estate, in Ham, off the A38 two miles outside of Wellington.

Ms Mahoney said it was no secret that Reminiscence Learning needed to move to larger and more accessible premises in response to a growing range of services and national delivery.

She said Hamlands offered a fully accessible and disability friendly layout, alongside a bright and sunny day centre suite comprising of separate activity areas, a comfortable sun-room, and an accessible and enclosed garden in a warm and inviting ‘homely’ atmosphere.

Office space and training areas completed the charity’s wish list and Ms Mahoney said her team was ‘very excited for the next chapter’ in the Reminiscence Learning story.

Ms Mahoney said: “This is a very exciting time for Reminiscence Learning and we are excited to share it with the Wellington community.”

The relocation to Ham is expected to be completed over the August Bank Holiday weekend and Ms Mahoney said she was aiming to avoid any interruptions to services while it happened.

Ms Mahoney, who is an occupational therapist with both physical and mental health experience, founded Reminiscence Learning in Wellington in 2001.

It became a registered charity two years later in 2003, and after moving to Bishops Lydeard, and later Taunton, returned to Wellington in 2015.

The charity is probably best known for its ‘Archie’ project, which links primary schools with local care homes with the aim of dispelling the fear and stigma associated with dementia.