The Mayor of Chesham, Cllr Jane MacBean, joined residents and members of the team at Chesham Leys care home, run by The Fremantle Trust, to officially mark the arrival of its interactive ‘magic table’.

The Tovertafel is a projector that creates light games on a table to stimulate the senses. It is particularly beneficial for people living with dementia as it encourages engagement in a gentle, playful way.

The innovative technology has been installed at Chesham Leys thanks to fundraising support from Heart of Bucks, the community foundation for Buckinghamshire, who contributed £5,000. Funding support was also provided by community organisation, Chesham Connect, as well as families and friends of Chesham Leys.

The Tovertafel is intended to benefit the wider community as local school children will also be invited to use it, as well as community groups within the area.

Simon Meredith, service manager, commented:

We were delighted to welcome the Mayor to Chesham Leys to sample the Tovertafel first-hand. Residents and community organisations came together to see for themselves how valuable it will be as a means of connecting people, supporting interaction and having fun. The fishing pond game has already become a firm favourite!

Cllr Jane MacBean, the Mayor of Chesham, added:

It was a wonderful experience to witness the therapeutic visual impact of the Tovertafel. It’s excellent to see that community groups and local school pupils will benefit from this remarkable resource.