Everton in the Community, the official charity of Everton Football Club, has been bringing people from across the community together with a series of online sessions in support of the Alzheimer’s Society’s initiative Dementia Friends.
Ever since lockdown, Everton in the Community has looked to substitute its face to face delivery where possible with safe, yet bespoke engagement opportunities for current and new participants.
Its work with Dementia Friends sees participants on EitC’s programmes join family carers who are currently caring for loved ones with dementia in learning more about the condition and how best they can support their loved ones.
The online sessions cover pertinent topics such as what dementia is and how it can affect different people, the ageing process and how to live well with dementia, as well as raising awareness and challenging the stigma of dementia. The sessions also provide the opportunity for EitC to sign-post attendees to local support services.
The online engagement sessions also emphasise Alzheimer’s Society’s message on World Alzheimer’s Day (Monday 21 September) in highlighting the importance of talking about dementia, and how it impacts the daily lives of people affected by the condition.
“You look at books or read things online and it can be overwhelming sometimes,” admits Sandra, who is a regular attendee of EitC’s dementia programmes.
“Being able to see the information presented like this and to speak with someone who knows about this type of stuff who asks questions about my Dad has really made the difference.”
Dementia Friends is a social action movement led by Alzheimer’s Society to help eradicate stigma around dementia and change the way we think, act and talk about the condition.
Since the start of the Dementia Friends online sessions in April, more than 50 people have taken part, upskilling their understanding of the condition and turning understanding into action.
Everton in the Community's Health and Wellbeing Manager, Johnnie Garside added: “This online training has proven really beneficial for those who have attended and is something we are looking to develop further to support even more people who could benefits from the course information."
