Town to host first ever dementia day

A town will be hosting its first ever dementia day as part of a charity's drive to raise awareness of the condition.

The event in Bewdley, Worcestershire, will be held on 10 August and will include a special service at St Anne's Church as well as competitions, games and activities at Jubilee Gardens.

Organiser Sharon Harvey, of Bewdley Dementia Support Group, said she hoped the whole town would support the event and expected at least 200 people to take part.

"We're not aware that it's been done before here in Bewdley. It's about making everyone aware about dementia," she told BBC Hereford and Worcester.

"We have an older population in Bewdley, which means we may well have an increase in the number of people with dementia and carers."

According to the Alzheimer's Society, about 928,000 people are currently living with dementia in the UK but a third of people with the condition have not been diagnosed.

The number is expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040, according to the organisation.

Ms Harvey said she launched Bewdley Dementia Support Group after some of her relatives experienced a dementia-related illness.

"We want to support the community – support the carers and sufferers as well as people interested in the topic. It's a horrible disease," she added.

"We want to provide friendship, socialisation and information."

The event is part of the charity's drive to make Bewdley a dementia-friendly community – a place where people with the disease are understood, respected and supported.

But as well as raising awareness about the illness, Ms Harvey said they wanted to provide a fun and relaxing environment for people living with dementia.

"We just want to do whatever we can do. We want to make it fun for people who are carers and sufferers," she said.

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