Bishop of Wakefield supports Dementia Friends campaign
The Bishop of Wakefield is backing a campaign to tackle the stigma and lack of understanding around dementia by promoting Dementia Friends across all the parishes in the towns of Pontefract, Barnsley and the city of Wakefield.
During Dementia Awareness week next week, he and 20 of his colleagues will take part in a training session at Church House, Wakefield to increase their awareness and understanding of the condition and become Dementia Friends.
Bishop Tony said: “I am delighted that all the parishes across the Wakefield Area of the Diocese of Leeds are taking this exciting step – it is about recognising some of the issues facing those in our communities and finding ways for our churches to be able to better serve and support them."
This is part of an on going initiative for the Wakefield Area – last year Castleford Team Parish worked in partnership with Livability – the UK’s largest Christian disability charity – to become the first Dementia friendly church team in the diocese.
More than 40 members of the four churches that make up the Castleford Team Parish in Castleford, Glasshoughton, Smawthorne and Hightown are now official Dementia Friends - an Alzheimer’s Society initiative to change people’s perceptions of dementia. It aims to transform the way the nation thinks, talks and acts about the condition and there are currently more than 1.5 million Dementia Friends.
And since that time, the team – led by the parish’s Father Kevin Greaves - have done a great deal of work and are now members of the local Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) with Father Kevin Greaves as Chair.
The Dementia Friends session held next Tuesday - will be delivered by Adrian Barnes-White, Dementia Action Alliance Co-ordinator for the Wakefield and Five Towns area.
Said Adrian: “Dementia Friends was launched to tackle the stigma and lack of understanding that means many people with the condition experience loneliness and social exclusion.
“It’s all about learning more about dementia and the small ways you can help. From getting in touch with someone you know living with dementia to wearing your Dementia Friends badge with pride. Every action counts,” he added.
Become a Dementia Friend dementiafriends.org.uk