Dementia Adventure Expands Green Letter Days to Bring More Outdoor Adventures to Care Homes

Charity Dementia Adventure has announced the return of its Green Letter Days programme for 2026 – a growing series of free, dementia-inclusive days out designed to help people living with dementia, their families, carers and care home residents enjoy safe, supported adventures together.

Care homes can now book places for residents living with dementia, with SheffCare and Jewish Care among the providers already signing residents up. Care home staff or activity leads simply need to arrange travel to and from the venue.

Building on the success of last year’s launch, this year’s calendar is bigger and more varied, with new activities such as cycling days and tennis sessions joining established favourites like golf, spectator and walking cricket, boat trips and garden tours.

Every Green Letter Day is offered free of charge, so cost is not a barrier to taking part, but attendees are encouraged to donate to the charity if their circumstances allow.

Green Letter Days are carefully curated experiences which take place in safe, welcoming spaces that are facilitated by Dementia Adventure staff and trained partners. Whether it is a gentle cycle, a relaxed game of tennis, a day on the green at a dementia-inclusive golf club, a walking cricket session at a major ground, a peaceful boat trip or a guided garden tour, each day focuses on simple pleasures. These include being outdoors, moving at your own pace, and sharing time together.

Alix Popham, the former Welsh rugby star (94 caps, two World Cups) diagnosed with early onset dementia aged 40 in 2019, is supporting Dementia Adventure with their launch by attending the first Green Letter cycling day in Gloucester . Since his diagnosis, Alix has become a passionate advocate for gentle exercise to support brain health, regularly cycling for charity through his Head for Change foundation. He’ll meet Dementia Adventure beneficiaries enjoying their free cycle session and discuss how staying active has made a difference to him.

Alix says: “After my diagnosis, staying active became a huge part of how I cope, both physically and mentally. Getting out for a cycle, being in nature, and sharing that time with other people makes a real difference to my wellbeing. That’s why Green Letter Days matter so much. Dementia can shrink your world if you let it, but initiatives like this open it back up again, for people living with the condition and their families.”

Fiona Petit, Chief Executive at Dementia Adventure, said: “We’re thrilled to bring Green Letter Days back with an even bigger mix of activities. For care homes, these days are a simple way to give residents living with dementia a change of scene, meaningful activity and time in nature, without staff having to design everything from scratch.”

Green Letter Days are open to people living with dementia who are accompanied by a family member, friend, carer or care worker. Group sizes are kept small, activities are flexible and there is always time built in to sit, chat and simply enjoy the surroundings. Many days also include lunch or refreshments and opportunities to reminisce, watch live sport or explore the venue at a relaxed pace.

Upcoming Green Letter Days in 2026 include:
● Dementia-inclusive cycling days delivered by Goals Beyond Grass at venues including Gloucester Athletics Club (April 9 and June 4) and Forest of Dean Cycle Centre (May 6 and July 8)
● Return to the Green golf days in partnership with Golf In Society at Rudding Park in Yorkshire (April 20 and June 8) and Sussex (April 23 and May 12).
● Love-All tennis days across clubs in Radlett, Hertfordshire (April 28, May 5, 12, 19, 26 and June 2)
● Walking cricket and reminiscence sessions at cricket grounds at Lords, Essex and Manchester. (Dates TBC)
● Participatory indoor net cricket sessions at Colchester and Leyton (Dates TBC)
● Dementia-inclusive boat trips with Wetwheels, including Portsmouth (June 17) and Whitby sailings (July 10) – and new for 2026 Loch Ness (Date and partner TBC)
● Garden tours and allotment adventures at Another Place, Ullswater in the Lake District (June 17) and Chippenham Park, Cambridge (September 2)

Full details of dates, locations and how to book can be found at: https://dementiaadventure.org/green-letter-days/