Real stories

Giving and gaining as a Dementia Friends Ambassador

During a volunteer-led Dementia Friends session at Eastleigh Rotary Club, where I’m a member, I thought to myself, ‘I could do that.’

I’m a people person. I was in education for 30 years – a headteacher for the last nine of those – before starting my own training company.

I was already working with a lot of businesses and educational organisations, and it was clear to me that Dementia Friends was another way I could use these connections to give back.

I spoke with someone from Alzheimer’s Society and I was on a course the following week.

Volunteering opened my eyes

When I first got involved in Dementia Friends, I didn’t think I had a personal connection to dementia. But volunteering has opened my eyes.

Over time, I’ve realised just how many people I know who are or have been affected. My father had Parkinson’s but I now think that it was probably Parkinson’s dementia.

I’m a Dementia Friends Ambassador and, to date, I’ve run 200 sessions – it’s just part of my retirement now!

I travel all over the place. If people ask me to go, I go.

Most of what I do is in care homes, usually with the staff, family members and other visitors, but I also go into schools. 

For example, I’ve just been to a sixth form college to support a module on dementia for students studying health and social care.

Achieving something worthwhile

I would encourage everybody to give some time up to do some volunteering. The way I look at it, you might think you’re giving back but you’re gaining as well.

You come out feeling lighter and happier than when you went in. That’s the feeling of having done something good.

Dementia Friends isn’t my only volunteering role. I also help with activities at eight different care homes.

My two volunteer roles have recently overlapped. At one of the care homes where I volunteer, we’ve just launched a challenge to create 50 new Dementia Friends by spring.

We’re trying to get more family members to attend sessions. We’re also reaching out to local businesses, such as solicitors and financial advisers, who deal with power of attorney and wills and regularly meet people affected by dementia.

Rewarding experiences from volunteering

I really enjoy giving people the space to ask candid questions about dementia and to share their experiences.

It’s particularly rewarding to support young people – one experience that’s stayed with me is helping a girl process what was happening to her grandma.

People often don’t understand how to talk to people with dementia.

If I can help them feel more comfortable doing this, then I’ve achieved something worthwhile.

I aim to create a welcoming environment. I want to give people permission to ask the things that have probably been bugging them but they were too afraid to ask.

The real joy is knowing that when people leave my sessions, they go on to raise more awareness and support other people.