National Dementia Awareness Week events in Derbyshire highlight council support services

Events to raise awareness and share information about dementia will be taking place from today as Derbyshire County Council supports Dementia Awareness Week 2015.
Dementia Awareness WeekDementia Awareness Week
Dementia Awareness Week

The council is a member of the Derbyshire Dementia Action Alliance, which is committed to improving the lives of residents living with the condition and their carers to create a more dementia-friendly county.

The authority is also part of Dementia Friends—a national initiative aiming to create dementia-friendly communities by improving understanding of the effects it can have.

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Cllr Dave Allen, Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, said: “Dementia is affecting more and more people each year. To protect our aging population we’ve signed up to a number of initiatives to try and make our county more dementia-friendly.

“We’re encouraging everyone to come along to these events where people can find out more about support services available or becoming a ‘dementia friend’ and gain the help and advice they need.”

Local events running as part of Dementia Awareness Week include:

Monday May 18, 7-8.30pm: Dementia Friends Awareness sessions at Southlands Home for Older People, Main Street, Long Eaton

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Wednesday May 20, 10.30am to 3pm: Making Space, dementia awareness event, Littleover Banqueting Suite, Burton Road, Derby

Wednesday May 20: 10am to 2.30pm: information stand at Liberation Day event, Gresley Old Hall, Gresley Wood Road, Church Gresley

Thursday May 21, 2.30-4.30pm: Chesterfield Dementia Action Alliance launch event, Assembly Rooms, First Floor Market Hall, Chesterfield; to book visit www.eventbrite.co.uk

Thursday May 21, 10.30-11.30am: Dementia Friends information session, Strutt’s Community Centre, Derby Road, Belper; to book visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk

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Saturday May 30, 7pm: Unforgettable, a play exploring Alzheimer’s, County Hall, Smedley Street, Matlock; to book visit www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/167439.

Local residents living with dementia have teamed up with staff from the Alzheimer’s Society and the Bless Project to construct 1,103 handmade forget-me-nots, one for every ten people with dementia in Derbyshire. The art installation is free to view at No. 28, Market Place, Belper.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service is also running Dementia Friends awareness sessions at fire stations in Alfreton, Nottingham, Chesterfield, Buxton and Ilkeston and at Glossop Adult Education Centre.

To register for one of these sessions call 01332 771221 or email [email protected].

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Residents who would like to find out more about dementia and the support services offered by Derbyshire County Council can visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/dementia.

The council also funds a dementia support service run by the Alzheimer’s Society which residents can contact on 01332 208845 (Derby and south area) or 01246 223366 (Chesterfield and north area) or email [email protected].