Hampshire Dementia Action Alliance

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History

In response to the growing problem of dementia, in March 2012 the Prime Minister set his Dementia Challenge - to deliver major improvements in dementia care and research. In that challenge there was a commitment to the development of dementia friendly communities across the UK. A dementia friendly community is one where people with dementia are enabled to live as independently as possible and to continue to be part of their community, but at the same time, are met with understanding and given support when needed.

Hampshire was at the forefront of the work nationally and conducted a pilot project on dementia friendly commuities in the north of the county in 2012. Subsequently, Hampshire County Council invited organisations to bid for the contract to deliver a project to bring dementia friendly communities to Hampshire. Andover Mind was successful in winning the 2 year contract and work started on the Dementia Friendly Hampshire project on March 1st  2013. One of its core aims was to ensure the good work it achieved was continued and built upon.

From a baseline of zero, the results at the end of 3 years of work by  the project included:

  • 440 business and organisations signed up to the Hampshire Dementia Action Alliance

  • 28 Dementia Ambassadors recruited

  • 10 Dementia Friendly High Streets launched

  • 26 local voluntary Dementia Action Groups (voluntary action groups) established or in the process of doing so

  • 348 Dementia Friends sessions delivered, creating over 3400 Dementia Friends

  • 141 Consultations & Engagement events carried out (1025 people consulted) primarily with people affected by dementia

  • 249 promotional events either attended or organised, including stands, a DFH roadshow, and a DFH conference

To enable sustainability post project, Dementia Friendly Hampshire became an independent charity.

Aims

Our vision is for Hampshire to be a county where people affected by dementia can live a good life, with opportunities to participate in and contribute to their communities and be valued for who they are.

We will do this by:

  • helping to set up and supporting local Dementia Action Groups 
  • encouraging organisations to become dementia friendly and to join the Hampshire Dementia Action Alliance 
  • being involved in innovative and exciting Projects and Partnerships 
  • signposting people to advice and information on dementia
  • promoting Dementia Awareness

Hampshire Dementia Action Alliance

Dementia Friendly Hampshire provides the secretariat for the Hampshire Dementia Action Alliance (HDAA). This includes:

  • Being a main point of contact for enquiries about HDAA
  • Dealing with new membership and advising on action plans
  • Updating the website, including entering details of action plans

The only compulsory commitment for our members is that they make their customer facing staff dementia aware. 

Dementia Action Groups

We support the development of Local Dementia Action Groups (DAG's), run by volunteers with a passion to make their communities Dementia Friendly.  There are currently over 30 either set up or in the process of doing so. Each Group is autonomous and decides what its community most needs.  

Through their commitment, ingenuity and hard work, the Groups are making a real difference.  Examples of their activities include:

  • The very first DemFest, conceived and delivered by RomDAG (Romsey).  A family festival which achieved its aim of inspiring, informing and educating.  It had over 800 visitors and is set to become an annual event. Many other areas are now keen to have their own festival
  • Bespoke Information Points developed  and installed in GP's surgeries and supermarkets by Lymington Dementia Action Group
  • Dementia Friendly Cinema Screening started by Dementia Friendly Winchester.  Trialled as a 'one off', it is now a regular event

All the Groups promote dementia awareness by delivering Dementia Friends sessions. They also work with local businesses and organisations to become more dementia friendly and signing them up to the Hampshire Dementia Action Alliance.

Contact us to be put in touch with your nearest Dementia Action Group.

Projects and Partnerships

We are keen to develop new Projects that will help people with dementia live well in their communities and work in partnerships to help us acheive this.

Some of the projects we are currently working on include:

  • Not Out! - an adaptation of the game of cricket which will enable people with dementia and their families to on enjoying playing the game together.  It will also be used as research on the impact of the activity on Cognitive skills of people with dementia
  • Focus Groups - bringing together people affected by dementia together to give their opinions on research, activities and what's needed to enable them to lead good lives

If you have an idea for a project that you think will benefit people affected by dementia in their community, let us know!

For more information or if you would like to join our Alliance and help make Hampshire a Dementia Friendly Community, please contact Jane Ward

 

 Email: jane.ward@dementiafriendlyhampshire.org.uk

 Phone: 07557 653229

 Website: www.dementiafriendlyhampshire.org.uk

Alliance Members

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