About Us
Prama, a family of charities
Caring for people in Dorset
Our History
Prama was founded in 1982 to support older adults, originally by providing domiciliary care and now by providing a range of community-based activities including group support for people with dementia and carers and one to one support for carers and older adults who have become lonely. The key aim is to prevent ill health or if that is not possible to mitigate the impact of the health condition and enable the person to live as long as possible in their own homes and communities.
Prama works across the conurbation of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, East Dorset and as far north in Dorset as Blandford Forum. Our staff live locally and we are fortunate that we are supported by 350 local volunteers, bringing many years of wisdom and commitment to their work with us. Increasingly we are recruiting more volunteers from the people we have supported, they are now using their lived experiences to help others.
Prama is a Christian charity, we believe that people of all faiths and none deserve love, respect, compassion, and support to live the fullest lives they can: our Christianity is born out in the services we provide.
We support those living with Acquired Brain Injury
We act as a voice for issues impacting older people
We stand up for the Human Rights of Older people
We support those Ageing Without Children
We work with disadvantaged and minority communities including BAME and LGBTQI+
Our values and vision
As a Christian charity, we believe that people of all faiths and none deserve the love, compassion and support to live the fullest lives they can, and our services help achieve that.
Our aim is to provide support services which tackle social isolation and lead to increased personal independence, self-sufficiency, and dignity, including age-friendly and dementia-friendly clubs, carers’ support groups, community-based activities, and inter-generational activities.
The people make Prama
Everyone says it’s the people that make Prama what it is. We have committed and passionate people working across all our services who bring a range of diverse life experiences to their work.
Whether it’s finance, office work, operations, running community groups, team leaders, or charity shop staff, we recruit for values, character and experience and train for excellence.
Some of our teams are made up of salaried staff and volunteers which allows us to deliver broader and diverse services across Dorset.
If you’re interested in working or volunteering with us, you can find more details about our current vacancies and details of how to apply here: here/work_for_us.
Our partners
We couldn’t do what we do without partnerships with local Dorset agencies, other charities and the vital financial support from our funders.
Thank you to the following charities and businesses who currently support our charitable aims and help make a difference to the lives of so many people living in Dorset.
Highcliffe Golf Club
Aldbury Care Home
The Aldbury is a Dementia Care Home situated in, Poole, Dorset. The purpose-built home has been dedicated to meeting the needs of people living with dementia for over 21 years. The team take the time to understand the individual needs of each resident to ensure the care provided is of the highest standards.
We are delighted that the team at the Aldbury have selected Prama to be their charity of the year for 2025. We were selected by the team as they wanted to raise money for a local charity that focusses on supporting those living with Dementia and their loved ones. The team have a pre-planned list of events already scheduled throughout the year and have already put on a spectacular talent show with the staff and residents showcasing their amazing talents as well as a Valentines Day event and dressing up for World Book Day. All monies raised from all of the events that they will be hosting will be donated to PramaLife.
