Nominations Open for the Dementia Friendly Kent Awards

The Awards Ceremony will take place at Valley Park Academy as part of a large-scale Kent Dementia Show on Monday 21^st October which will be open both to the general public and professionals working in the field.

This year we will be celebrating a decade of the Dementia Action Alliance and the 7th Dementia Friendly Kent Awards. The awards are organised by the Kent Dementia Action Alliance in association with Kent County Council and the NHS.

Previous years’ Dementia Friendly Kent Award winners include a wide array of individuals and organisations across the county.

In 2023, recognition was given to Kent & Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust for their radical review and re-organisation of dementia services; Kent’s Most Inspiring Dementia Care Provider award went to Alzheimer’s & Dementia Support Services (ADSS), which has been providing support to people affected by dementia for over 30 years; and young people did particularly well at the awards, with Sheppey’s Oasis Academy celebrated for a decade of supporting people with dementia.

Newcomers from Valley Park Academy, who are kindly hosting this year’s awards, were recognised for their dementia café with the whole school involved providing lunches and entertainment.

Senior Assistant Headteacher at Valley Park School, Gemma Lowe, said: “It is a great honour to be recognised for all the effort and work the students have achieved in providing events for people living with dementia. Being awarded for supporting others is so humbling, it demonstrates to the students how important volunteering your time to give to others, especially those living with dementia, is. Human kindness is so important.”

All of the awards are judged by people affected by dementia.

Kent County Council’s Leader, Roger Gough, commented: “I’m delighted to be celebrating these richly deserved awards and all the great work being done now and over the past decade by Health and Social Care partners, communities and individuals across Kent to improve the lives of those affected by dementia.

Chief Medical Officer  and Consultant Psychiatrist at Kent and Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) , and award winner of the “Psychiatrist of the Year” for 2022 awarded by the Royal College of Psychiatrists Dr Afifa Qazi, is supporting work across KMPT services to transform dementia care in Kent & Medway.

Dr Afifa Qazi said: "The Dementia Action Alliance works hard to create dementia friendly communities for everyone across the county to participate in. We need every resident in Kent and Medway to have a greater understanding of dementia, as it’s the leading cause of death in the UK and currently affects an estimated 24,000 people in our county. KMPT cares for a lot of people who are seriously unwell with dementia, so we know how important easily accessible dementia-friendly services and support are. We’ve recently opened a bespoke new hospital ward for older adults, and are conducting important new research into how we can all best support people living with dementia. And our deputy chief medical officer Dr Mohan Bhat will soon be leading nation-wide initiatives as Chair of the Old Age Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists.  Initiatives like the annual Dementia Friendly Kent Awards play such an important role in raising local awareness about this condition, as well as celebrating fantastic work to support people with dementia and their loved ones."

However small or large, every action is helping us build a more dementia friendly county so let us know about your great work!

To take part, complete a simple nomination form

www.kent.gov.uk/dementiafriendlyawards

Deadline for entries is 30 June 2024.

If you need support making a written application, email innovationdeliveryteam@kent.gov.uk.