This week we hand over to Livia Wright, a visiting PhD student from Italy whose PhD is on ‘Older adults living with mild to moderate dementia in northern Italy: experiences of diagnosis and community-based support’. Over to you Livia…
While I was waiting to board the last flight to Birmingham, I mentally rehearsed the rest of the journey: Airlink to Birmingham New Street, lunch at the Vietnamese noodle place – delicious, highly recommended – train to Worcester Foregate Street, then walk home. The next morning: walk to the Jenny Lind building, but only after the very important academic ritual of a full British breakfast.
“This has become familiar”, I thought.
And it has. I visited the Association for Dementia Studies (ADS) at the University of Worcester during three different stays – June 2025, March 2026 and June 2026 – all part of a three-month period abroad for my PhD. The 2025 visit was the “Tour” visit: “The Big Social” in Dundee and multiple Meeting Centres across Scotland, England and Wales. Means of transportation: a tiny, flaming red Fiat 500 (pictured) – I swear I did not ask for an Italian car. Mood: happy traveller.
To say the Meeting Centres I visited were welcoming is an understatement (if you’re reading, thanks again!). At every visit, it took only a few minutes to feel at home. Each centre was different, but all shared the 11 essential features – plus, as the Food Glorious Food project by ADS has taught us, vital feature number 12: a good cup of coffee. You can read more about that project in a previous ADS blog post. The visits reinforced my understanding of the importance of local engagement and the transformative power of simply being present with one another.
My interest in Meeting Centres comes from my PhD, which explores the experiences of families living with dementia who attend community-based groups in Italy. As part of my fieldwork, I spent around five months in two groups, conducting ethnography, and I also interviewed families attending other groups. I am now in the very long and exhilarating-slash-tragic process of writing my thesis – the exact adjective depends very much on the day.
For that reason, my two visits in 2026 have been memorable writing retreats. Having an office to work from is still a pleasant novelty for me, as I live far from my university and usually work from home. Even better has been having colleagues nearby to exchange ideas with during the day. I should mention that I have swapped the Fiat 500 for a far less impressive second-hand bicycle, which is very slow to brake (also pictured).
In March 2026, as mentioned in a previous Meeting Centre newsletter, I returned to Dundee for Ron Coleman’s memorial. Hearing him speak at “The Big Social” had left such a profound mark on me that it felt right to make the journey and say farewell.
I am also looking forward to presenting some of my PhD findings at the Postgraduate Research Conference at the University of Worcester at the end of June. After that, I will visit the Living Well with Dementia team at the University of the West of England in Bristol. It feels like a fitting way to bring this period abroad full circle before returning to my computer and the thesis-writing marathon.
These visits have enriched my academic and practical understanding of dementia care and community support, and deepened my appreciation for the subtle beauty of everyday encounters. I will always treasure the stories, conversations and insights from this journey.
A big GRAZIE to the ADS team and the Meeting Centres UK family!
Thanks to Livia for the blog, and we’re glad she’s had such a great experience during her visits.
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