Date: September 16, 2013
Embargo: Immediate
Shipley MP Philip Davies has pledged to take action to support the 800,000 people living with dementia across the UK.
Philip Davies joined 200 other MPs and representatives from Alzheimer’s Society in Portcullis House, Westminster to provide a handwritten statement of the action they will take to support people with dementia and their carers.
Mr Davies pledged to help make his constituency dementia friendly so people with dementia can play a full role in their community, raise awareness in his constituency, and meet constituents living with dementia.
Philip Davies MP said: “According to the statistics one in three people over 65 will develop dementia, so I think it is a major health issue that we can no longer afford to ignore.”
Alzheimer’s Society campaigners were inWestminsterto drum up political support for their trailblazing Dementia Friends initiative that launched in February this year. Dementia Friends aims to help people understand what it might be like to live with dementia and turn that understanding into action. Alzheimer’s Society is aiming to have one million Dementia Friends by 2015, to help makeEnglandmore dementia-friendly and improve the lives of the 650,000 people currently living with the condition.
During the afternoon, 30 MPs from acrossEnglandtook part in a Dementia Friends session. Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive at Alzheimer’s Society said:
‘Most people don’t know enough about dementia. Dementia Friends is the perfect opportunity to be able to invite everyone to improve their knowledge. We are pleased to have been able to engage over 130 MPs in one day. They have a huge influence in their local communities and we hope they will use this opportunity to take action and improve lives‘.
If you are interested in becoming a Dementia Friend or helping create more communities that are dementia friendly, go to dementiafriends.org.uk to find your nearest information session or to volunteer as a Dementia Friends Champion.