Campaign to make Bristol first Dementia Friendly City
Bristol based social enterprise BS3 Community Development has started an ambitious campaign to make Bristol the first Dementia Friendly City in the UK.
Friday 21st September is World Alzheimer’s Day and BS3 Community has been working with Bristol Dementia Alliance to support local retailers in the city to understand dementia and how it effects people in order to make their shops and cafes dementia friendly.
They are offering training sessions to retail and hospitality staff, after which attendees are awarded lapel badges as an acknowledgment and a sign that they are a ‘Dementia Friend’. Outlets receive a ‘We are a Dementia Friendly store’ award to display in their window, which demonstrates to those living with dementia and/or their carers, that they are very welcome to shop in those stores and can feel at ease doing so.
Ruth Green, Community Development Manager says “ The training sessions are short but informative and retailers are responding really positively to the small but significant changes that can be made to a shop or café environment to improve the shopping experience of people with dementia. Bristol is a friendly and inclusive place and we hope that this campaign will mean that more of the 850,000 people living in the UK who have dementia will be able to have healthy social lives for longer.”
BS3 Community Development is offering a Dementia training session and talk this Thursday (20th September) 1pm-3pm at the Southville Centre. If you’re a Bristol resident or retailer and would like to know more, please pop in Thursday, or for more information contact Ruth Green.
