The BaNES Dementia Action Alliance was initiated by Dementia Friends Champion, Sarah Williams-Martin, who identified a need for supporting people living with dementia in their community.  She contacted the DAA Project Manager from the Alzheimer’s Society who invited key people in BaNES to help and support this Action Alliance.  We now have a group of stakeholders to help drive the Alliance forward.

The BaNES Dementia Action Alliance will use the services of a multi-faith group of volunteers to help recruit members.

As a new Alliance, we are very interested in speaking to potential new members, so if you feel you would like to join as a member or be a part of the steering group, then please get in touch.

Aims

70% of people living with dementia continue to live at home.  Therefore the overreaching aim of the BaNES Action Alliance is to create a dementia friendly community, where people can:-

• travel on public transport

• enjoy sport, cinema and other recreational activities

• go shopping

• run errands

• visit places of worship

• manage day-to-day tasks

We aim to do this by raising awareness to enable those living with dementia to remain in their community for as long as possible.

We aim to consult with people with dementia and work with councillors, groups and services to establish what is important to people living with dementia in BaNES and identify the needs of these individuals and their carers in order to provide support.

We aim to work with Dementia Friend Champions to make as many Dementia Friends as we can in BaNES.

We aim to contact and recruit churches, retail and educational establishments, transport services, care services, leisure, medical, pharmaceutical and emergency services, as well as groups and clubs within the BaNES area to make them members of the BaNES Dementia Action Alliance.

We aim to work in conjunction with another group called the Dementia Initiative to produce a booklet of services and support for those living with dementia.