DEMENTIA AWARE VILLAGE
More that half of the population in the UK knows someone who is living with dementia. In Bristol alone, there are 5000 people who have a diagnosis. This is expected to rise by a third by 2050.
Often, people living with dementia and their loved ones feel isolated, stigmatised, and misunderstood. This is often due to the lack of knowledge people have about the condition and the environment.
Simple adjustments and public awareness can make such a difference to so many. Bristol Dementia Action Alliance have been raising awareness about dementia for the past 10 years and is now working on an exciting pilot project to make Shirehampton the first dementia aware village in Bristol.
Community leads, organisations and businesses have been enthusiastic about the project and, with the support of volunteers and Community Marshals who are contracted by Bristol City Council, they have visited retailers on the high street. To date, 21 retailers have signed a pledge of commitment and have had a building audit to identify areas that could be changed such as signage and lighting.
Lisa, who is the project lead said, ‘The response from the high street has been incredible. We still have a way to go but already the changes are happening. If we can make a community dementia aware, we make it more inclusive for everyone and as a pilot, we are taking the learning from it to be able to roll it out to other communities in Bristol’.
Darren Jones MP has supported the project from the beginning and attended the first Memory café that took place at the JTE Hub in the Methodist church. The Memory café was set up because of the pilot project. It’s a space for those living with dementia and their carers to meet others on the same journey and enjoy a couple of hours doing something fun.
Bristol Dementia Action Alliance hosts its annual awards event on 27th September 3-5pm at Westbury Baptist Church. This event celebrates the work that groups, organisations and businesses have done to improve the lives of those affected by dementia. Shirehampton is well on its way to receiving a plague to display in the village.
There will be several dementia awareness workshops taking place over the next couple of months in Shirehampton which anybody is welcome to join.
Lisa concluded, ‘We do what we do because it’s the right thing to do and people living with dementia deserve to be respected and included in their community’.
If you want to support the project or find out how you can become a dementia aware community, contact Lisa: community@bdaa.org.uk
