AROUND 80 people attended a Dementia Awareness Conference in Broadstone, organised by MP Annette Brooke.

Speakers included Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the National Alzheimer's Society and Paul Burstow MP, former care minister.

Presentations were given by representatives from Dorset's Clinical Commissioning Group and the voluntary sector. The challenges for Broadstone include working towards a dementia friendly community, churches and shopping parade.

“We now have so much more work to do within our community but I felt that people were inspired to take action to improve the quality of life for people with dementia and their carers.

“It was staggering to learn that currently only about half of the 800,000 sufferers in this country receive a formal diagnosis. So much can be done by raising awareness for example with taxi drivers and others providing transport.”

Prospective MP Cllr Vikki Slade said: “I was inspired by the concept of a social prescription signposting patients and carers to dementia friendly activities such as walking and scrabble playing.”