Bungay residents join together to battle stigma surrounding dementia

An information session, held as part of a campaign to tackle the stigma and lack of understanding surrounding dementia, attracted 50 people to a local theatre.

Bungay residents joined the Dementia Friends campaign during a free session at The Fisher Theatre last weekend. Photo: The Fisher Theatre. - Credit: Archant

Those in attendance at the Fisher Theatre, in Bungay, on Sunday, September 24, became Dementia Friends.

The session was led by Sue Hardy, a local dementia friend champion.

Dementia Friends is the Alzheimer’s Society’s biggest ever initiative to change people’s perceptions of the condition and transform the way the nation thinks, talk and acts about it.

Sophie Woods, who runs a regular group for adults and carers at the theatre also spoke, reinforcing the campaign’s ‘living well’ message and explaining how keeping a social life can help to maintain that.

Among the group of 50 was mayor of Bungay Mary Matthews, who said: “I would like to take the Dementia Friend initiative out to Bungay businesses and local groups so that we can move towards a dementia friendly town.”

Anyone interested in supporting the Dementia Friends campaign can do so by visiting: dementiafriends.org.uk