A small group of people in Kingsbridge became ‘Dementia Friends’ recently, as part of a campaign to tackle the stigmas and lack of understanding surrounding the condition.

The group attended a free, one-hour information session at Kingsbridge Library run by local Dementia Friends Champions Beccy Bristow and Rebecca Weare and The Regal Club are hosting a second tomorrow, Thursday, June 29, at 10am.

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 a four million Dementia Friends with the know-how to help people with dementia feel understood and included in their community.

Dementia is an umbrella term for diseases of the brain. Particularly prevalent in the older generation dementia can affect any function of the brain and people with the illness may have issues with memory loss, visual disturbances, communication, spatial awareness and movement.

This can make it difficult for people with the condition to remain integrated in the community and may become more and more isolated as the condition progresses.

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

Dementia Friends Champions are volunteers who talk to people about being a Dementia Friend in their communities. Speaking about the Session, Beccy Bristow said: “I was so pleased to see people showing their support for people with dementia, by coming along to the Session and becoming Dementia Friends.

“We need to create more communities and businesses that are dementia friendly so that people affected by dementia feel understood and included.”

Beccy and Rebecca signed up to be a Dementia Friends Champion earlier this year and attended a one day training course on how to deliver the Sessions. Rebecca added: “I signed up to be a Dementia Friends Champion because my grandma had dementia but I didn’t really know anything about how the dementia affected her.

“After attending an information session I wished that I had known more about the condition before she died so that I could have understood and supported her more. I want to do what I can to promote awareness of this illness so that other people can help their friends or relatives to live well with dementia.

“I’m so proud to be part of a growing network of people helping to create dementia friendly communities across England.”

Camilla Alfred, Dementia Friends Regional Support Officer at Alzheimer’s Society said: “Dementia touches the lives of millions of people across the country. Dementia Friends was launched to tackle the stigma and lack of understanding that means many people with the condition experience loneliness and social exclusion.

“It’s all about learning more about dementia and the small ways you can help. From getting in touch with someone you know living with dementia to wearing your badge with pride, every action counts.”

Anyone interested in supporting the campaign should go to dementiafriends.org.uk or go along to future Information Sessions. Rebecca and Beccy are running another free ‘Dementia Friends’ information session on Thursday, July 6, at Kingsbridge library at 10am.