Become a Dementia Friend

In Warwickshire, there are estimated to be approximately 7,600 people living with dementia and this is likely to rise to over 11,000 in the county in the next ten years. The fact is that most people will be affected in some way by dementia during their lifetimes.

Raising awareness of dementia, creating dementia friendly communities and supporting people to live well with dementia are key aims of Warwickshire’s Living Well with Dementia Strategy (2016-2019).  To support people to live well with dementia and to raise awareness and understanding of the condition, Warwickshire County Council and partners are aiming to create 30,000 Dementia Friends across Warwickshire by 2019. Our local target will also contribute to the national target: to create 4 million Dementia Friends in England by 2020.

Dementia Friends aims to change the way people think, act and speak about dementia. The initiative is led nationally by Alzheimer’s Society and is based on the principle that people with dementia can live well with a little help from other people and there are now over 2.5 million Dementia Friends in England. Becoming a Dementia Friend is about understanding a bit more about dementia and the small things that can help people with the condition. You don’t need to already know someone with dementia to become a Dementia Friend.

We already have over 25,000 Dementia Friends in Warwickshire, which is a fantastic achievement, but we need your support to reach our target of 30,000. To help encourage pupils, and their families, why not add a few words into your schools' newsletters, asking people to sign up over the school holidays? Signing up to be a Dementia Friend only takes 5 minutes. Go to www.dementiafriends.org.uk, where you can enter your details and find out more about becoming a Dementia Friend.   

There are a number of benefits to raising the concept of Dementia Friends to your school and students/pupils:

• Nearly one in three young people already know someone living with dementia. Dementia Friends can help your pupils understand how dementia may affect someone and how they can support someone living with it
• Dementia Friends is a National initiative  - be part of something really positive 
• Can be delivered within PSHE lessons – links with Citizenship
• Free PSHE accredited lesson toolkits can be used by anyone in the classroom to raise dementia-awareness. These are tailored for each key stage
• A Dementia Friends Information Session can be delivered to a class, year groups or assemblies (up to 200 pupils)
• Information Sessions are interactive and focus on five key messages that are important for everyone to know about dementia. Information Sessions can be tailored to specific age groups (from 5-18).
• Free session lasting 45-60 minutes, delivered by volunteers.
• All resources provided
• Dementia Friends Badges and Information card provided to every participant
• Minimal organisation required from the school.

Warwickshire County Council and Alzheimer’s Society would like to support your school / college to host a Dementia Friends Information Session. Visit alzheimers.org.uk/youngpeople to find out more about raising dementia-awareness with your students. Or simply complete the attached Information Session request form and send to  Alzheimer's Society: youngpeople@alzheimers.org.uk  If you have any queries, please contact Ann-Marie Snelson, Senior Dementia Friends Officer on 07710381679

If you would like to use Alzheimer’s Society PSHE accredited lesson packs or use the animation to teach young people about dementia, you can request these resources from alzheimers.org.uk/youngpeople