A packed week of events is planned for Dementia Action Week, 15-21 May, to help raise awareness and support people living with the condition and celebrate Croydon’s efforts to become a dementia-friendly borough.
Starting from Tuesday 16 May, people can take part in a one-hour free Dementia Friends session to learn more about dementia and the ways we can all help create dementia-friendly communities. The online sessions are open to residents, organisations, community groups and local businesses. The dates can be found on the Croydon Council website.
The week-long activities have been organised by Alzheimer’s Society – the UK’s leading dementia charity and Croydon’s Dementia Action Alliance (CDAA), which includes Croydon Council, Age UK Croydon, local health and social care services, emergency services, the voluntary sector and more. These groups work in partnership to make the borough inclusive for the more than 3,800 people in Croydon estimated to be living with dementia, their families and carers.
Croydon’s David Lean cinema at Croydon Clocktower (Katharine Street, CR9 1ET) is putting on special dementia-friendly screenings of the films ‘Mrs Harris goes to Paris’ on Tuesday 16 May and, ‘Carmen Jones’ on Friday 19 May. Bookings can be made at www.davidleancinema.org.uk.
The Museum of Croydon is also hosting dementia-friendly sessions in which attendees can touch and feel objects from the past displayed in the museum. The ‘Handling Objects’ sessions take place in the activity room (Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, CR9 1ET) at 1.30-2.30pm on Tuesday 16 May and Friday 19 May. They are free to attend, and no booking is required.
On Thursday 18 May from 11.00am-12.00pm, the Alzheimer’s Society’s Singing for the Brain group in Croydon will be singing songs at Morrison’s, Purley Way and fundraising for the charity.
People can also attend several dementia awareness sessions in Croydon, where they can socialise, take part in activities, and learn more about the condition. This includes open days at:
- Croydon Council’s Marsh Willow Dementia Centre, Heaver’s Resource Centre, (122 Selhurst Road, SE25 6LL) on Wednesday 17 May, 12:00pm to 3:00pm,
- Croydon Council’s Langley Oaks Day Centre, (2 Langley Oak, CR2 8DH), on Thursday 18 May, 12:00pm to 3:00pm.
Details of all Dementia Action Week events in Croydon can be found on the Croydon Council website.
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon, who is speaking at a CDAA event for local dementia partner organisations on Monday 15 May, said: “I feel honored to work in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society and the Croydon Dementia Action Alliance to support this year’s Dementia Action Week. I have made a strong commitment in my business plan for Croydon to become a dementia-friendly borough, and I am proud that we are making great progress in achieving this status.
“I want to ensure that we offer adequate support to the thousands of residents living with the condition, as well as supporting their families and carers. The CDAA will produce a dementia strategy for Croydon later this year, which will provide further guidance to everyone in the borough to strengthen this support and make our borough inclusive and accessible for everyone living and working here.”
