Exeter City Council backs plans to make Exeter a Dementia Friendly City

Exeter City Council has joined a rapidly growing movement to make Exeter a Dementia Friendly Community.

The City Council has formerly announced that it is now a member of the Exeter Dementia Action Alliance (EDAA). It joins over 50 organisations and businesses within Exeter, working to make the city dementia friendly.

City Councillors Paul Bull and Emma Morse took to the pitch at half time during the Exeter v Luton match at St James Park on Saturday to make the pledge.

The match was part of Exeter City’s Kick It Out campaign to promote awareness of the benefits of equality, inclusion, diversity policies and practices in football.

Gina Awad, EDAA Lead, said: “Our dementia focussed match was the ideal opportunity to officially acknowledge the Council’s membership of the alliance. Having Exeter City Council on board will be an asset and really illustrate ongoing valuable partnerships.

In addition, being able to offer this collaborative event provided a meaningful social afternoon for over 40 people living with dementia, their families and carers. We have received such great responses”.

Martin Weiler, Chair of Exeter City Supporters Trust, said: “Everyone at Exeter City Football Club was delighted to help raise awareness of the fantastic work being done by the Exeter Dementia Action Alliance. We are determined to become more dementia friendly ourselves and support the drive for a dementia friendly Exeter.”

Councillor Paul Bull, Lead Councillor for Communities and Neighbourhoods said. “A week after it was announced that dementia causes more deaths than heart disease in England and Wales, I believe that Exeter City Council has a duty to raise awareness of dementia and help in any way it can.

“So I am delighted that the City Council has taken the next step and become a member of the Exeter Dementia Action Alliance. We are already looking at ways to make signage around the Council’s Customer Service Centre more accessible to people with dementia, and there is now a group of councillors meeting on a regular basis to look at ways to become a Dementia Friendly Council, and in time make Exeter a Dementia Friendly City.

“I can reveal that the council will be working to deliver a number of actions, including:

– continuing to raise awareness of dementia by arranging Dementia Friends sessions for staff, councillors and contractors

– training two Dementia Champions, to run information sessions and promoting dementia awareness with the Council

– finding ways to make our car parks more dementia friendly.

These actions are just the start – we will be looking to add to the Action Plan in time. I am proud that Exeter City Council is now committed to making the Council, and the city, more Dementia Friendly.”