Dementia Action Week – Improving communities for the better

Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Dementia Action Alliance - Shropshire Regional Community

The Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Dementia Action Alliance is made up of organisations that operate across the area working together to make Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin dementia-friendly. The steering group meet bi-monthly alternating across venues in Telford and Wrekin. Hear more from Mary Latter, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Dementia Action Alliance below:

“The aim of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Dementia Action Alliance is to share and improve knowledge and awareness of dementia and work with local communities so they can support local people living with dementia and their carers better. Midcounties Co-op has helped us to do this, both by practical actions and by fundraising for us. We were able to work with Midcounties staff, raising awareness through in-store sessions and helping with advice on how store layouts and processes could be more ‘dementia friendly’.

Funding has helped us help locally based groups, passionate about improving things for people living with dementia, to ‘spread the word’ through ‘Dementia Friends’ sessions and other events and activities. All in all, the support of Midcounties Co-op has meant we have been able to reach more communities and individuals and improve the lives of people affected by dementia across the area."

Alz Café - Wolverhampton Regional Community

Alz Café is a voluntary organisation offering support to people living with dementia, their families and carers, by way of an informal and friendly monthly meeting and regular planned outings

Colleague Jools Farrell, Community Administrator, who has personally worked with Alz Café supporting Dementia, can’t thank them enough:

"Wolverhampton Regional Community have had a fantastic two-way relationship with Alz Café for a few years now. The group hold a monthly evening get together for people living with Dementia and their carers.  They provide vital support and friendship, which for many of the carers is a vital lifeline as the demands of caring can make many feel extremely isolated and lonely.  Extra funding from Midcounties has allowed the group to extend the hand of friendship and support by introducing a monthly coffee morning too!”

Daybreak, Oxford - Kidlington & North West Oxford Regional Community

Daybreak is unique in providing social and therapeutic respite days for people living with dementia, helping couples stay together at home, thus delaying or avoiding residential care.

The partnership has been very beneficial as the stores are committed to helping us raise awareness of the challenges faced by people with dementia and their families, within the local community.

They receive no statutory funding and rely very much on the support of the local community to help continue to providing vital services.

Dementia Friends Sessions

Across the Society, we have dementia friends’ sessions for our colleagues – which are available as an online development programme. The training aims to go over some key messages on perception & impact while people manage their everyday life, physical damage and identifying the fact there is more to a person than just Dementia.

You can access this via the i.Learn by searching for 'Dementia' here.