Kenilworth students join dementia friendly campaign

A group of over 200 sixth form students from Kenilworth School and Sixth Form became ‘Dementia Friends’ recently, as part of a campaign to tackle the stigma and lack of understanding around the condition.

The group attended a free one-hour Information Session delivered at Kenilworth School run by local Dementia Friends Champions, Keeley Waldron and Claire Taylor.

Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends programme is the biggest ever initiative to change people’s perceptions of dementia. It aims to transform the way the nation thinks, talks and acts about the condition. The charity wants there to be four million Dementia Friends with the know-how to help people with dementia feel understood and included in their community.

There are currently 850,000 people living with the condition in England.

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.

If other schools or colleges (or any other organisation) are interested in hosting a one hour information session, please contact Keeley Waldron from the Alzheimer’s Society for more information Keeley.Waldron@alzheimers.org.uk

For further information or to become a Dementia Friend online, go to dementiafriends.org.uk

For support for people living with Dementia in Warwickshire, visit:warwickshire.gov.uk/dementia