Families caring for loved ones with dementia in Ealing have spoken of their shock and distress after learning that long-running charity Dementia Concern is set to close this week.
The charity, based on Windmill Road in Ealing, confirmed it will formally cease operating on Friday (22 May 2026), bringing an end to more than four decades of support services for people living with dementia, their carers and families.
Among those affected is one local resident whose father, who has advanced dementia, has attended one of the charity’s Thursday social clubs since 2019.
The resident, who is also her father’s registered carer, said she received the news by email with only days’ notice.
She told EALING.NEWS: “This Thursday will be the last time my father will be able to attend his Thursday club, which at this stage in his dementia is the one activity he remembers and looks forward to.”
The resident said she was “shocked” by the sudden nature of the closure announcement and questioned why families had not been informed earlier.
She said: “I am shocked and appalled that some of the most vulnerable elderly in the borough, along with their struggling carers, are being left suddenly and without warning, in the lurch in this way.”
The resident also questioned the charity’s financial situation, saying the weekly club and transport service for her father had risen in cost over time to around £260 every four weeks.
Linda Byrne, head of social engagement at Dementia Concern, told members in a closure letter that the organisation could “no longer afford to continue operating”.
She wrote: “The money we receive no longer covers the cost of providing our clubs and services, and despite our best efforts, we can no longer keep the charity running.”
Families were told the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday clubs would still operate this week before services end on Friday.
In a formal closure announcement, Peter Ryan, chair of Dementia Concern’s board of trustees, said discussions were continuing with local stakeholders to explore whether some services could continue under alternative providers.
He said: “To close this very unique and longstanding charity has been an extremely difficult decision for the Board, particularly because we work with vulnerable people living with dementia in Ealing.”
Mr Ryan added: “Like many other charities, our financial position has become unsustainable.
“Over the past couple of years, we have put a range of measures in place to try to keep the organisation going, but despite our best efforts, we have now reached the end of the road.”
For more than 40 years, Dementia Concern has provided dementia link workers, advice services and social clubs for residents across Ealing.
The charity said its dementia link workers carried out home visits, personalised support and assessments, while its social clubs offered “safe, friendly environments” where people living with dementia could socialise, build friendships and take part in dementia-informed activities led by trained specialists.
Closure details sent to families also included contact details for alternative support organisations and NHS dementia services across the borough.
However, some carers say the sudden announcement has left families anxious about what happens next.
The resident added: “It doesn’t seem right to me. I am upset, appalled and, having checked the state of their accounts on the Charity Commission website which shows a healthy financial situation, I wonder what is really going on here?”
EALING.NEWS approached Dementia Concern for comment.
