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News

11/07/2018

Corporate Partnership Opportunities for Waltham Forest Dementia Hub

A Message from Waltham Forest Council:

Background
The term ‘dementia’ is used to describe a collection of symptoms, including changes in memory, reasoning and communication skills, with a gradual loss of ability to carry out daily activities. These symptoms are caused by structural and chemical changes in the brain as a result of physical diseases, a series of small strokes or other neurological conditions. Dementia is a progressive condition, with symptoms becoming more severe over time.

There are currently 1,326 people aged 65 and over with a dementia diagnosis in Waltham Forest, with an estimated additional 537 people with the condition who have not been diagnosed. We are anticipating a 64% increase in diagnoses between 2017 and 2035.

Waltham Forest Council, in partnership with the local NHS and the voluntary sector, are currently reconfiguring the support available for people with dementia to ensure that we can meet the expected increase in demand. Part of our ambition is to make Waltham Forest a ‘dementia friendly’ community, which can support the needs of the increasing number of people with the condition within a community setting, and where people receive high quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to end of life care. To achieve this, our Transforming Dementia Services project has identified the need to engage more fully with local businesses; ensuring that they are supported to understand the needs of an increasing number of customers and employees who have the condition, or care for somebody who has.

Part of this new Dementia Offer involves the establishment of a Dementia Hub within the borough. This will act as a drop-in centre where people with dementia and their carers can access information and advice; participate in support sessions or carers groups; and access representatives from different services.

Corporate Partnership Opportunities

We are therefore seeking to develop symbiotic corporate partner relationships to help further our objectives. By working alongside us, we can support your organisation to achieve the following outcomes:

  • Brand exposure within an increasingly competitive market
  • Enhance your reputation as a social responsible organisation and employer, with associated positive PR
  • Access to a potentially new, and increasing, target demographic
  • Investment within the local community where many of your customers and employers live

Although we are, at this stage, looking to engage with potential partners and develop bespoke and mutually beneficial relationships, some ideas of how we can support your organisation include:

  • A corporate presence within our proposed new dementia hubs via a plaque or dedication.
  • We can arrange Dementia Friends sessions for your staff; these are short awareness raising training that will enable employees to better understand customers with dementia and their carers. In addition, it is likely that many of your staff will encounter dementia within their personal lives.
  • Provide support and advice on making your business more dementia friendly; for example appropriate signage or colour schemes. Perhaps your organisations would like to become accredited as a Dementia Friendly Organisation?
  • Liaise and explore partnership opportunities with other local organisations as part of Waltham Forest’s Dementia Action Alliance.

We would welcome opportunities to work with your organisation on ways in which you can support our work, for example:

  • Volunteering opportunities for your staff within the dementia hubs, such as helping to decorate or supporting sessions
  • Helping us to create a beauty therapy room within the hub
  • Donating items to the hubs such as tables, chairs, garden furniture, computer equipment, plant pots etc
  • Printing leaflets
  • Fund raising

Please do not hesitate to get in touch to discuss the possibility of working with us to make Waltham Forest a better place for people with dementia and their carers. Contact Matthew Mint, Project Manager, Waltham Forest Council: Matthew.Mint@walthamforest.gov.uk | 020 8496 3000 | Ext: 8786

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