Bath and North East Somerset’s second annual regional dementia awareness conference was held in Peasedown St John last Tuesday at St John’s Church.
Organised by the Peasedown Community Trust and sponsored by law firm Stone King, the conference featured keynote speakers, information stalls, networking, a tasty lunch and an opportunity to meet charity leaders and experts working in the field of dementia research and awareness.
The Chairwoman of Bath & North East Somerset Council, Cllr Karen Walker (Independent, Peasedown), said:
“We were thrilled to host this conference in Peasedown St John.
Every three minutes, someone in the UK will develop dementia. With dementia on the rise, communities across the country are making a stand, and Peasedown St John is no different.
Since 2019, more than 300 residents have attended one of the Peasedown Community Trust’s dementia awareness workshops. They have been instrumental in raising the profile of the work we’re doing in the village – which we were able to showcase at this special regional conference last Tuesday.”
Keynote speakers included Alison Allen from Stone King who shared practical legal tips for those in later life.
A huge range of organisations were also present for delegates to meet, including:
· Age UK
· Alzheimer’s Society
· Stone King
· ReMind UK
· Peasedown Community Trust
· Appleton Nutrition
· Hillcrest Surgery
· B&NES Live Well Service
· Companions Who Care
· Cedar Homes
· Care UK
The conference was completely free for anyone who wanted to attend thanks to sponsorship provided by Stone King.
Cllr Gavin Heathcote (Independent, Peasedown) added:
“We were delighted to have Stone King’s support for this year’s conference. It meant a lot to us and our work to create a dementia friendly community in Peasedown St John.
There are currently 900,000 people in the UK living with dementia, and that figure is set to rise to 2 million by 2050.
One in four people will be affected by dementia in their lifetimes, especially those diagnosed with clinical anxiety in middle age, which is why it’s important to work with individuals and their families to try and make life much easier for those who have it.”
Peasedown St John’s second annual Dementia Awareness Regional Conference, ‘Creating Dementia Friendly Communities’, was held on Tuesday 20th May, 10am – 3pm at St John’s Church, Church Road (BA2 8AA).
Anyone who’d like to find out more about dementia awareness projects in Peasedown St John can contact the Peasedown Community Trust by emailing peasedowncommunitytrust@gmail.com.
