Dementia Friends for children and young people

Why should children and young people know about dementia?

Nearly one in three young people know someone living with dementia.

Often, this person is a grandparent, but increasingly it could be a parent. 

This is why it’s important that every young person feels prepared and understands what it’s like to live with and be affected by dementia. 

By supporting young people to understand dementia from an early age, you’ll help remove the stigma and enable them to be confident in the simple ways they can help make a difference for people affected by dementia in their community.

What is Dementia Friends?

The Dementia Friends initiative is our flagship awareness-raising programme. 

Participants learn what it’s like to live with dementia and the little everyday ways they can help to make a difference.

A Dementia Friend is somebody who has learned the five things we want everyone to know about dementia and the things they could do in their daily lives to support people affected by the condition.

There are already millions of Dementia Friends in England and Wales! Your school or youth group can join them by requesting a trained Alzheimer’s Society volunteer to come and deliver a Dementia Friends Session.

What is a Dementia Friends Session?

Dementia Friends Sessions last about 30 - 45 minutes and can be delivered to groups in a classroom, as part of an extended assembly or to a youth group, wherever your group meets. 

The sessions are delivered by our trained Dementia Friends Ambassador volunteers.

Each Dementia Friends Session is full of interactive activities which will help children and young people learn about dementia and the ways that they can help make a difference. 

The resources have been developed in collaboration with teachers, youth leaders and our experts here at Alzheimer's Society.

At the end of the session, each participant becomes a Dementia Friend and is given a special Dementia Friends sticker or pin badge.

Which age groups can become Dementia Friends?

We have three different sessions for children and young people, aimed at the following ages:

• 5-11 years old
• 11-14 years old
• and 14-16 years old.

If your group are aged 16 years or over, then they can take part in our Dementia Friends Session for adults or become a Dementia Friend by watching the video on the Dementia Friends website.