A solicitor from Shropshire law firm, FBC Manby Bowdler, has joined a campaign to tackle the stigma and lack of understanding around dementia.
Michelle Monnes Thomas, a member of FBC Manby Bowdler's Community Care team, has become a Dementia Friends Champion as part of the campaign run by the Alzheimers Society.
Michelle signed up to be a Dementia Friends Champion earlier this year and attended a one-day information session. She will now share her knowledge with her colleagues at FBC Manby Bowdler, which has offices in Shrewsbury, Telford and Bridgnorth, through information sessions in the community.
The Dementia Friends programme is the biggest ever initiative to change people’s perceptions of dementia. It aims to transform the way the nation thinks, talks and acts about the condition.
The charity wants there to be four million Dementia Friends with the know-how to help people with dementia feel understood and included in their community.
There are currently 850,000 people living with the condition in England. Dementia Friends Champions are volunteers who talk to people about being a Dementia Friend in their communities.
Michelle said: “I signed up to be a Dementia Friends Champion because I deal with a lot of people with dementia through my work that involves planning wills, powers of attorney and care planning. I’m so proud to be part of a growing network of people helping to create dementia friendly communities across England.”
“We need to create more communities and businesses that are dementia friendly so that people affected by dementia feel understood and included,” she added.
Anyone interested in supporting the campaign should go to dementiafriends.org.uk.
