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A Pudsey church is reaching out to those who live with dementia and their families and carers.
The Mothers' Union at St James the Great is hosting a public discussion on being 'Dementia Friends' on 22 February, led by Sarah Goodyear of Leeds Dementia Action Alliance.
Barbara Towers, Mothers' Union Branch Secretary, said, "I have had both a brother-in-law and a sister-in-law who have lived with dementia and I want to learn more about this condition and about how we can best support people.”
Fr Nicholas Clews, Parish Priest, said, "The meeting will be followed up by a Dementia Friendly service on Palm Sunday, 9 April, at 2.30pm. We'll use Sarah Goodyear’s experience to make sure that the service is as friendly as possible for those who have dementia. One thing we know already - we will be giving away lots of palm crosses!"
The public discussion takes place on Wednesday 22 February, 2pm at St James the Great, Galloway Lane, Pudsey.
Two other workshops to help churches meet the pastoral and spiritual needs of those affected by Dementia will be held on 4 March in Harrogate. More here.
A study by the Alzheimer's Society on the social and economic impact of dementia in the UK estimated that there were 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK in 2015 and that dementia costs the UK £26 billion a year.