Warrington exceeds dementia friends target

OVER a thousand local residents have joined the fight against dementia and signed up to become a ‘dementia friend’.
As a contribution to the national campaign, Warrington set a target of getting 1,000 people to sign up by March 2015, and so far already 1,270 have signed up to help those with dementia feel supported and included in their community.
‘Dementia Friends’ was set up to give more people an understanding of dementia and the small things that could make a difference to people living in their community.
The aim is for one million people to sign up nationally and there are currently over 600,000 recruited.
To become a dementia friend people need to attend a one-hour basic awareness session or can join online.
The council is urging more local people to keep coming forward.
Cllr Pat Wright, executive board member for health, wellbeing and adult services, said:
“This is absolutely fantastic news and I hope it inspires even more people to come forward. It makes such a huge difference to people with dementia if those around them know what dementia is and how it might affect them.
“A dementia friend is someone who learns a little bit more about what it’s like to live with dementia and then turns that understanding into action.
“It is possible to live well and independently with dementia for many years if you have a little help, understanding and kindness from people around you. That doesn’t just mean close friends and relatives, it means all of us learning to understand how we can help.”
For more information, go to www.dementiafriends.org.uk or if you would like a dementia champion to provide a session for your organisation, call 01925 443988 or e-mail [email protected]