Dementia Friends campaign reaches one million goal

Over one million people have signed up in support of Dementia Friends, a campaign run by Alzheimer’s Society to change the public perception of the illness, surpassing the charity’s goal.

The programme was launched just over two years ago in a bid to increase awareness and challenge stigmas connected to the lifelong condition, which currently affects over 850,000 people in the UK.

Alzheimer's Society has now set an ambitious new target of creating four million Dementia Friends by 2020.

Dementia Friends invites people to watch a short video about the illness that provides tips and ideas on the things they can do to improve life for those diagnosed.

Over 9,000 have also pledged to become Dementia Friends Champions, completing over 100,000 hours of Dementia Friends Information Sessions in their local communities in a bid to create a dementia friendly society.

A number of celebrities have joined the campaign, including Ruth Langsford, Eamonn Holmes and Pixie Lott and both Prime Minister David Cameron and the leader of the opposition Ed Miliband are now Dementia Friends.

Businesses including Marks & Spencer, easyJet, and The Royal Bank of Scotland have encouraged staff to become Dementia Friends as well as schools, the police, the fire service and transport providers.

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We are beginning to change for the better the lives of people with dementia and their carers. The real revolution is the one million ordinary people who have chosen to become Dementia Friends. In communities across the country, they are working to eradicate the isolation, fear and despair felt by so many affected by dementia.

“Dementia is our biggest health challenge and the British people are rising up to tackle it."

Duncan Selbie, chief executive of Public Health England, said: “The sheer scale of the challenge posed by dementia means we all need to work together to address it. Public Health England is doing all it can to raise awareness of this disease and in helping the public and businesses support people living with the disease by becoming Dementia Friends.”

Alzheimer’s Society has pledged to spend £100m on research into the care, prevention and cure of Alzheimer’s disease over the next ten years.