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https://www.lostsilver.co.uk/blogs/news/spey-bay-and-the-wdc-scottish-dolphin-centre
PORTGORDON’S LAMPIE HOOSE CAFÉ
A cuppa of community spirit.
By Shubhaa Forrest
Like every Thursday morning, Sandy arrives at Richmond House in Portgordon, ready to start his shift alongside the team who give life to The Lampie Hoose Café.
The Lampie Hoose is an integral part of a Portgordon Community Trust initiative that transformed this former hotel and inn into a community hub at the heart of the village. This beautifully decorated, intimate and cosy café is a worthy heir to Portgordon’s tradition, paying tribute to a time when paraffin lamps guided boats to the safety of its harbour.
While Sandy carries out the food safety checks and starts baking his coveted scones, Brooke, the Facilities and Services Coordinator, arrives carrying the shopping. Not long after, Rachel from Taylor Made Treats Buckie delivers her home-baked cakes, a perfect pair for locally roasted Speyside Coffee. Elaine starts chopping vegetables, I get the tables ready and make coffee and tea for the team. It's time for a chat before the café opens its doors.
The café opens on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, from 11.00 to 13.00, and, as Brooke explains, it is run entirely by volunteers. “Our volunteers come from all walks of life. Some of our volunteers are students, some are already retired, and some combine their busy working life with the café.”
Despite their different ages, backgrounds, and nationalities, all volunteers share a love for Portgordon and a drive to create a community space where everybody is welcome with a warm smile, and there is always time for a chat.
Customers start arriving at the café: regulars whose orders are kindly remembered, tourists taking a break in their travels or mothers treating their young children. Today, Joey is bringing news of the next beach clean date, and Laura is delivering new mugs and cards to sell in the café and collecting kind donations from customers that help maintain Portgordon Fairy Walk.
Laura and Joey share their love for the Lampie Hoose: “This café is not only a great place to enjoy a toastie, a baked tattie or a burger; it is like visiting friends at their home, and their support of local businesses and initiatives has been invaluable”
Since its inception, the project has paid special attention to its social and environmental impact. All profits generated by the café are reinvested not only in the maintenance and improvement of Richmond House, but also in supporting community projects and championing sustainability and local development, such as the Community Garden, which provides the community and the café with vegetables.
Michelle, Portgordon Community Trust CDO, takes a break from emails and meetings in her office upstairs to greet customers and volunteers, have a chat, and enjoy a cuppa. “Working with these guys is a privilege, they are the most amazing team, this café would be only a dream without their support, commitment and effort. Our wish for 2026 is to have more volunteers and open as many days as possible. All we ask for is a friendly smile and a willingness to join in; the team will show them the rest.”
If you want to become part of their story, do not miss the opportunity to visit The Lampie Hoose, enjoy a freshly cooked lunch and, as they explain on the back of their menu, “help the team create a place where everybody belongs, and everybody matters.”
A Virtual Reality programme is helping to prevent dementia.
By Shubhaa Forrest
Programmer and graphic designer Julio Herrera has developed a VR Active Mind programme, designed to improve cognitive function, enhance mood, and aid early detection of dementia.
Mr Herrera has built a solid reputation for developing apps and games for a young audience. Still, it was his personal experience that led him to explore applying gamification and virtual reality to the detection and prevention of dementia.
‛I became my mother’s carer two years ago, when her mobility and memory started to deteriorate. She used to see me playing VR games, and one day she asked if she could try. She found it very entertaining and started giving me ideas of the kind of games she would like to play. I started my research in the field, looked for the expertise of neurologists, psychologists and geriatricians, and the result is this programme,’ Mr Herrera explained.
With carefully designed environments, the players can choose a variety of puzzles and games with increasing levels of difficulty.
The programme consists of a central hub, The Garden of Serenity, which gives access to three main scenarios, where the player can exercise different skills and abilities: The Library of Knowledge to exercise logic and play word games, The Creative Workshop, full of visual and spatial awareness puzzles, and The Room of Numbers to solve mathematical challenges.
‛We have created every game with a dual purpose. They allow the player to exercise cognitive functions but, thanks to the use of VR technology, there are additional components of mobility, hand dexterity, spatial awareness, creativity, and of course memory.’
To provide medical professionals and carers with valuable information, the programme generates performance registers and weekly and monthly reports, to allow its integration in existing and future care plans, and also to adjust the level of difficulty.
In its current format, the programme is designed for users aged 55+ to prevent cognitive decline and for players facing mild cognitive challenges. Mr Herrera and his team are already working on a programme focused on wellbeing.
‛Recent research tells us that the use of VR technology is one of the most promising tools to improve quality of life and wellbeing for persons with dementia. We are developing a programme that will focus on improving emotional well-being, and we are trying to secure funding for a third programme, which will expose clinicians and carers to situations that patients with dementia experience.’
The VR Active Mind programme has been successfully implemented in senior and day care centres, requiring a minimal investment in equipment and training.
‛We are trying to make the programme accessible to as many users as possible, and are always available to provide information and advice at vractivemind@herrera.com’
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