Large Funding Project for Dementia Friendly Worthing
We are proud to tell you that our friends over at Dementia Friendly Worthing along with Abbeyfield have secured funding for a 3 year project that supports people living with dementia and their carers. The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, is supporting the dementia project to the tune of £222,104 over those 3 years.
This funding comes at a momentous time for dementia awareness. Starting May 17th ‘Dementia Action Week’ will be in full effect, you can find out more here.
Covid-19 has had a huge impact on dementia services during the past twelve months and charities are yet to re-instate services before the lockdown is fully lifted.
The funding will provide signposting, information hubs in the community and work with other local dementia alliances. Events such as bi-monthly dementia cafes and support for carers to help access small funds such as the carers wellbeing fund. The hub will host the Worthing Town Cryers – a social action group made up of people living with dementia who are very active in the Worthing area. It will also provide opportunities to work with GP surgeries, the dementia assessment and crisis team and the Dementia Matron. The hub will be open daily for anyone with dementia, their carer or family and have hot desk facilities which health and dementia-specific workers can use.
Dementia Friends and How We’ve Got Involved
We enjoy actively supporting Dementia Friendly Worthing. Ian Macara is on the steering committee and as the first business to be a member of the Dementia Friendly Worthing we committed to taking our staff through the Dementia Friends Information Sessions to become dementia friends.
Ian Macara and Catherine Diamond in our care, capacity and court of protection team are both Dementia Friend Champions who offer these sessions to local charities and businesses.
Dementia Friends is an Alzheimer’s Society initiative to bring awareness of dementia and alter the public’s perception of the disease. The scheme has been a phenomenal success; there are now over 3 million dementia friends across England and Wales with a greater understanding of dementia and some of the ways they can help people living with the condition in their communities.