Develop new skills - and widen understanding of dementia
05 Mar 2014
University supports Dementia Friends initiative
The University is supporting Dementia Friends, a Government-funded national initiative run by the Alzheimer’s Society.
It aims to improve people's understanding of Dementia and its effects and aims to create one million Dementia Friends by 2015. A Dementia Friend is someone who attends a 50 minute information session and then turns their understanding into a practical action that could help someone with Dementia.
A Dementia Friends Champion is someone who has completed one day’s training and commits to deliver information sessions for people in their personal networks or communities to create more Dementia Friends.
The initiative aims to recruit at least 30 Dementia Friends Champions from the University during 2013/14. Their training will be provided by the Alzheimer’s Society, who will assess the suitability of those attending their course to be ‘registered’ as trainers. Following training, each Dementia Friends Champion will commit to deliver a small number of 50 minute lunchtime training sessions during 2014/15 to create more Dementia Friends.
Managers are being encouraged to raise this as an opportunity for colleagues who have an interest in supporting this initiative and are looking to apply their communication and leadership skills across the University as part of their ongoing professional development.
As the need for Dementia Friends Champions is relatively small, we would ideally want to have a maximum of one or two people from each Directorate Division of PSS, who would have the prior support of their line manager.
To find out more about becoming a Dementia Champion or register for a training course email:
For further information see:
There will also be a drop-in information session for staff on Thursday 13 March 2014, 12-2pm, Ground Floor Drum Foyer, University Place.