Chartwell House Named Finalist at Dementia Care Awards for Dementia Friendly Community Project
Chartwell House Care Home in Thanet, has been named a finalist for the Dementia Friendly Community Project Award at the prestigious Dementia Care Awards 2025. These national awards celebrate excellence across dementia services, recognising initiatives that create meaningful impact through innovation, inclusion, and a person-centred approach.
The Dementia Friendly Community Project Award specifically honours initiatives that actively support individuals living with dementia while strengthening connections across the wider community. Chartwell House’s finalist status highlights its pioneering work in bringing people together through the universal language of music.
In 2023, Chartwell House partnered with Broadstairs Folk Week to launch the town’s first-ever Dementia Friendly Folk Interactive Band and Dance Event. Now entering its third year, the event has become a celebrated fixture in the local calendar—creating a space where residents, loved ones, and the community come together in joyful, inclusive celebration.
The inaugural concert welcomed 30 attendees. By 2024, that number had grown to over 50, a testament to the event’s growing reach and relevance. With clear instructions, gentle rhythms, seated dancing, and a warm, accessible environment, the concert is designed to ensure that everyone, including those living with dementia or mobility needs, can engage fully and confidently.
“This event is more than music—it’s a shared moment of joy that breaks down barriers and brings people together,” says Jude Coveney, Admissions Manager at Chartwell House, who leads the initiative. “We see residents light up with energy and families reconnect in the most beautiful, unexpected ways.”
The concert brings Chartwell House’s Life Enrichment Programme to life, especially the principles of Connect, Contribute, Grow, Move, and Feel. Through music, movement, and memory, residents connect with others, contribute their presence and stories, and rediscover joy and vitality. It also reflects Boutique Care Homes’ Nostalgia Care approach—drawing on music as a powerful way to evoke meaning and emotion.
Residents described the event as “the best time of my life,” while a family member shared, “It was excellent fun for all of us—Teresa loved it.” Former Folk Week Artistic Director Kim Headley added, “In all my years with Folk Week, I have never seen something so beautiful.”
Ameet Kotecha, Founder and Managing Director of Boutique Care Homes, said, “This recognition affirms our belief in care so good, it’s unexpected. Chartwell House has shown how dementia care can extend far beyond the home—uniting communities through creativity, compassion, and connection.”
To discover more about Chartwell House or Boutique Care Homes, please visit www.www.boutiquecarehomes.co.uk.
