To mark Brain Awareness Week, a new Islington initiative is hoping to focus attention on neurological conditions and their impact both on those immediately affected and the people around them.
Islington and Hackney Parkinson’s Cafe, a conversation group launched at the end of February, provides access to a social setting where people with the neurodegenerative disease can express themselves alongside others with the condition.
Launched in partnership with Parkinson’s UK and led by volunteers Peter and Anna, the group is looking to grow its membership with a core focus on inclusivity for younger, working-class people suffering with Parkinson’s
For Peter and Anna, the project is personal. Peter’s mother had Parkinson’s, while Anna’s grandfather also lived with the condition.
The group runs on the last Tuesday of every month at The Drapers Arms in Barnsbury. But the group’s first meeting last month had no attendees. “It’s very hard to reach people,” Anna says.
“A pub can be seen as exclusionary for those who don’t drink, and that’s something we’re mindful of,” she says. “But in terms of available spaces that are open late and feel warm and social, this was the best option for now.”
“I think there’s still stigma around it,” Anna reflects.
She says she wants the group to provide a space for people to be open about their experience with the disease. “My grandfather had Parkinson’s, and we never really talked about it.”
“We want people to see their Parkinson’s as part of their identity rather than something to hide,” Anna says.
Anna wants to encourage people wary of attending: “It’s just a group of people sitting around a table, talking if they want to, or just listening if that’s more comfortable. It’s meant to be extremely laid back and welcoming.”
“There’s no pressure. It’s like a group of friends getting to know each other.”
Islington-based journalist with experience at the London Evening Standard. Covering local politics, community issues, arts, and development. Focused on delivering clear, accurate reporting on the stories shaping Islington.