Dementia Friendly Guernsey would like to recruit more dementia champions, who encourage others to make a positive difference to people living with dementia.
Champions do this by giving them information about the personal impact of dementia and what they can do to help.
The group said its current team of 14 volunteers was fully stretched meeting the demand for awareness sessions. More than 2,100 people have become a dementia friend locally.
It especially needs more champions able to deliver the interactive sessions to businesses and organisations during the day and midweek.
‘Our champions go around to businesses and give a presentation created by the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK,’ said Julie Bulpitt, co-ordinator and a dementia champion since 2016.
‘It is a really good programme and we are looking at people who can deliver sessions.’
Dementia friends champions will attend an induction, receive support when they need it and will be one of more than 10,500 volunteer champions across the UK.
As well as businesses, champions also provide information to families, carers and even school children.
The next induction course in Guernsey is being held on Saturday at the Guernsey Alzheimer’s Association Centre, Delancey, from 10am-4pm.
‘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,’ added Mrs Bulpitt.
‘Attendees are forever telling me how helpful the sessions are and I find this so rewarding.’
No prior knowledge of dementia is required to be a champion – 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.
One volunteer, Kim Le Cheminant, who works in customer services at Guernsey Gas and is also a community nurse, will be attending the induction course this Saturday.
‘I have patients who have dementia and I feel very strongly about raising awareness,’ she said.
‘It is something that is going to be around forever.’
She said colleagues at Guernsey Gas were attending people’s homes regularly and it was important they understood those with dementia, which they had recognised.
‘We’ve had 50 people in the last three sessions.’
She added that Guernsey Gas management was hoping to roll the programme out to colleagues in the Isle of Man.
n Anyone interested in becoming a champion but who is unable to make the induction on Saturday should email Mrs Bulpitt at info@dementiafriendly.org.gg or call 263132.
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