Three years ago, Farnham Town Council joined the local Dementia Action Appliance, which aims to make Farnham a more dementia-friendly town.

As part of its ongoing commitment to learning more about the condition that is predicted to affect one in 14 people in the UK aged over 65, councillors and staff from Farnham Town Council have recently undergone training to become a ‘Dementia Friend’.

The training was led remotely via video link by Dementia Friends Champion Alastair Shanks from Right at Home GF. He shared information about the personal impact of dementia and what Dementia Friends can do to help.

Councillor Pat Evans, Mayor of Farnham attended the training and speaking afterwards she said: “In both my roles as Mayor and as a councillor, I come into contact with many people who are living with dementia. I found the training to be very informative and helpful.

“Being a Dementia Friend has given me a greater understanding of dementia and an insight into some of the challenges. I highly recommend this training to anybody who wants to help people with dementia in their community.”

Local employers that want to learn more about becoming a dementia friendly business can contact Farnham Town Council for contacts and more information.