South Gloucestershire Council

• be dementia aware!
• sign up to become a ‘Dementia Friend’ via the website and attend an hour long session locally
• sign up to join South Gloucestershire Dementia Action Alliance
• make your community more dementia friendly: Sign up businesses and community groups in your area to join South Gloucestershire Dementia Action Alliance. They will need to pledge at least one action to provide a better service to people living with dementia.
• volunteer for your local memory café
• train as a ‘Dementia Champion’ to run awareness sessions
• volunteer for us – We are looking for people to run stalls, help out at events, and a variety of different roles. If you are interested, get in touch
• do you have dementia or are caring for someone who does? We want you to input into our work – please get in touch.

Case study:

Carol – volunteering in her community

” When my lovely husband Peter died after five years of living with dementia, I longed to find ways to help people feel more comfortable and less afraid of interacting with those with dementia. I wanted to contribute something towards breaking down barriers of stigma around dementia. Hearing about Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends initiative gave me my golden opportunity. I trained to become a Dementia Champion and now feel truly fulfilled and privileged to undertake delivering Dementia Friends awareness sessions in Patchway.

I also love volunteering at our Patchway Memory Café. Although my lack of sight prevents me from offering practical help at the café, I am always happy to spend time listening and talking to the members with dementia and their carers, and often having fun with them, too. My guide dog Julie is a very popular dementia friend there, giving cheerful wags and comfort. It is a joy to be a part of a great team of volunteers. Many thanks to everyone who has made this possible for me.”

Contact:

Winsome Barrett-Muir, dementia@southernbrooks.org.uk, 01454 868 570, Southern Brooks Community Partnerships, Coniston Community Centre, Coniston Road, Patchway, South Glos, BS34 5LP

Twitter: @SGlosDementiaAA      Facebook Page: South Glos Dementia Action Alliance