Surrey opens dementia support centre with charity and NHS

Surrey County Council, NHS Surrey and Friends of the Elderly have teamed up to launch a pioneering project to support people affected by dementia.

The three organisations have opened a centre called Friends with Dementia in Woking to offer information and practical help for people with the condition and their carers. An outreach service will provide support to the local Asian community and aims to host group sessions in Urdu, Hindi or Bengali. In England, there are around 570,000 people living with dementia. That number is expected to double over the next 30 years. Usually dementia occurs in people aged 65 or over.

Michael Gosling, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: "This pioneering project is an excellent opportunity to develop a better way of helping those affected by dementia. Surrey, like the rest of the country has a growing older population which means more people are likely to be affected by dementia in the future. This project will have a positive impact on reducing feelings of isolation and will provide support that people need to live well with dementia."

Friends with Dementia includes a resource centre with a lending library providing books, DVDs and activities as well as access to the internet for online information. It will also set up peer support groups offering those living with dementia and carers the opportunity to meet and support each other. The centre, based at the Bradbury Centre at Smiles Place, Lavender Road, Woking, will be open on Mondays (2-4pm), Wednesdays (10am-12pm) and Fridays (2-4pm).

The council, NHS Surrey and Friends of the Elderly were awarded one of the national demonstrator site projects to pilot peer support networks for people with dementia and their carers. The Department of Health is providing initial funding for the project, along with 39 others nationwide.