OVER 130 people across the North West business community are now dementia aware thanks to wealth management firm Quilter Cheviot’s support for the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends Initiative.

The initiative, which is being spearheaded by Kate Baldwin, consultant at Quilter Cheviot’s Manchester office, has included sessions with firms across the North West including Grant Thornton, Laytons Solicitors and Weightmans Solicitors.

The Dementia Friends sessions aim to change people’s perceptions of dementia and create communities in which people living with the disease feel more understood and included.

Quilter Cheviot marked the initiative passing the milestone of creating 100 dementia friends across the North West business community with the “Quilter Cheviot Dementia Friends Milestone Celebration 2016”.

Held at the King Street Townhouse Hotel in Manchester, the event raised awareness of the Alzheimer’s during Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Awareness Week, which runs between 15 – 21 May.

Fred Walker, 78, Alzheimer’s Research UK Champion, author and fundraiser, spoke at the event. Fred aims to raise £100,000 in aid of Alzheimer’s  Research UK  having completed  a wing walk on the 15th May. After losing his wife to dementia in 2010, Fred has written a book about the disease, has completed a sponsored climb of Snowdon and a free-fall sky dive from 14,000ft.   He pushes himself to the limit to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Phase one of the Dementia Friends initiative seeks to build a network of dementia friends in businesses and the professional community. Phase two will concentrate on building dementia awareness within Quilter Cheviot.

Kate will continue to offer sessions for businesses across the North West, whilst staff throughout Quilter Cheviot’s 12 regional offices will deliver dementia awareness sessions for Quilter Cheviot’s professional and intermediary connections across the country.

Stephanie Larkin, Community Fundraiser at Alzheimer’s Society, said:

“The work which Kate and Quilter Cheviot have been working on in the past year is magnificent! The Dementia Friends initiative is a social movement about turning understanding into action – and they have done just that. We aim to create 4 million Dementia Friends by 2020 and with Quilter Cheviot’s ambitions along with our own I’m sure we will get there. Their support will go a long way in developing the understanding of dementia in the community and for that we are very thankful.”

Speaking about the Dementia Champions Initiative, Fred Said:

“Dementia Friends are an important and necessary mid-point in the battle against the effects of dementia. They fill the gap between research and development of drugs and the enormous commitment needed to provide care in residential homes and hospices. They are there to help with day to day living difficulties in the community, essential for those who ‘lose their way’.”

Kate Baldwin said:

“The Dementia Friends initiative has been a fantastic success. We have now created over 130 dementia friends across the North West. The end goal is to build dementia friendly communities in which everyone knows what they personally can do to help people with dementia and make their lives as comfortable as possible. The response from Quilter Cheviot and the wider business community has been tremendous. The initiative is not only ethical but is hugely beneficial from a client relations perspective.”

Quilter Cheviot has offices across the North West in Liverpool and Manchester.

For more information, contact Kate Baldwin on kate.baldwin@quiltercheviot.com / 0161 837 3318.