COUNCILLORS, community groups and residents celebrated Christchurch being accredited by the Alzheimer’s Society as “working towards being a dementia friendly community”.

Over 100 individuals representing a range of organisations, from BCP Council, to businesses, charities, nursing homes, voluntary organisations, churches and many others, gathered to celebrate this milestone in the Programme.

Rev Sandra Prudom, chair of Christchurch Community Partnership under which the programme sits, said: “It is wonderful to see so many organisations and residents embracing this enormously significant initiative and wanting to get involved.”

The Primrose Trust and Christchurch Rotary Club match-funded the first six months of programme manager Lydia Brown's salary.

Lydia said: "The event was a huge success, I was overwhelmed by the turnout and everyone's passion for this programme.

“This subject is very close to my heart, as I cared for my grandma for four years, She lives with dementia and is now 102 and living in the Queensmead Care Home in Christchurch.

"As a result, I am leading this programme on understanding and passion, so to see everyone there on Thursday and be able to give so many thanks was wonderful.

“Gaining this accreditation for Christchurch is a huge success for the town and I hope everyone can be really proud of where they live and work. I'm very much looking forward to the changes we can make going forward.”

Lydia thanked all the organisations who have supported the cause so far.

Organisation who received their 'dementia friendly' logos included the Christchurch Community Partnership, Christchurch Rotary, Department for Work and Pensions and Fairmile Grange.

Christchurch mayor and BCP councillor Lesley Dedman, who is patron of the programme, led the celebratory toast.

She said: “This project is going ahead so fast that the Alzheimer’s Society are struggling to keep up with us.

"It is a really brilliant campaign because dementia is a such a terrible disease. The best thing you can do for people who have dementia is to help them to live a normal life.

"If businesses buying into it now, they will help us achieve our ultimate goal of becoming a dementia friendly town."