Three charities handed £7m to support people with dementia

Charities supporting people with dementia are to share more than £7m in funding

The money has been handed out by the savings and insurance sector backed Covid-19 Support Fund, to fund support groups and advisor roles.

Three charities are to share funding, including Age UK, which will use its grant for its pilot programme to help maintain memory and mental capabilities among older people with dementia. This involves setting up 180 support groups across 90 communities in the UK.

“We are tremendously grateful to the Covid-19 Support Fund for its exceptionally generous support,” said Age UK chief executive Steph Harland.

“These funds will allow us to deliver new and improved dementia support services for people living with this condition and their carers - including our expert information and advice services and local dementia therapy groups.

“We’ll also provide crucial dementia training to our frontline staff and volunteers. Working with the Fund will enable us to offer a truly national dementia service and help us to make a difference to the lives of so many people.”

Alzheimer’s Society will use its funding to create 20 dementia adviser roles to roll out a Dementia Connect Service and fund a Companion Calls service.

The provision of this funding will enable us to continue to support vulnerable people with dementia and their families in the aftermath of the pandemic and rebuild their lives after the devastating effects of lockdown,” said Alzheimer’s Society chief executive Kate Lee.

Also benefitting is the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS). Its funding is being used to ramp up its support group network over the next three years, from 30 to 55.

RVS chief executive Catherine Johnstone said: “The pandemic has been an incredibly difficult time for people living with dementia and those who care for them.

"The restrictions in place mean that many have had to go without social activities, peer support and regular contact which are vital to so many who are dealing with the effects of dementia.

"We are incredibly excited to receive the grant from the Covid-19 Support Fund which will enable our skilled volunteers to support more people through our enhanced dementia support services.”

Earlier this week the Covid-19 Support Fund published research that found as many as one in eight UK adults have been supported by charities since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.