Could you help people with dementia?

Wednesday 26 September 2018

Dementia Friendly Guernsey is looking for more 'Champions' to help its overstretched team fulfil its aims of ensuring Guernsey is 'dementia friendly'.

A Dementia Friends Champion is a volunteer who encourages others to make a positive difference to people living with dementia. They do this by giving them information about the personal impact of dementia and what they can do to help.

The current team of 14 volunteers are "fully stretched" meeting the demand for dementia awareness sessions with more than 2,100 people already completing their training to become a dementia friend locally.

The group especially needs more Champions able to deliver interactive sessions to businesses and organisations during the day, midweek and are delighted that several larger organisations are sending a staff member to help their own organisations become dementia friendly.

Dementia Friends Champions will attend an induction, receive support when they need it and will be part of more than 10,500 volunteer Champions across the UK.  The next induction course in Guernsey is being held this coming Saturday, 29 September, at the Guernsey Alzheimer’s Association Centre, Delancey between 10:00 and 16:00 with lunch provided.

Co-ordinator Julie Bulpitt has been a Dementia Champion since 2016. She said, “the initial training was very helpful in giving an understanding of what it’s like to live with dementia and how we can help others to make the experience much better through a fun and interactive awareness session. Attendees are for ever telling me how helpful the sessions are and I find this so rewarding.”

No prior knowledge of dementia is required, just a willingness to learn and a confidence to be able to deliver 45 minute sessions to small and medium size audiences occasionally. There is no minimum or fixed volunteering requirement.

If you are interested, or to find out more, email Julie at info@dementiafriendly.org.gg or call 263132.