Bolton Wanderers hold Dementia Friends awareness session

Members of staff from the club attend free informative session held at Macron Stadium

Staff members from the club joined a social movement to change thousands of lives last week when they took part in an information session to become Dementia Friends. 

The 28-strong group attended a free one-hour session at Macron Stadium run by local Dementia Friends Champion Michelle Kipling, with the event being held in conjunction with Dementia Awareness Week.

Dementia Friends launched in February this year to help members of the public understand what it might be like to live with dementia and turn that understanding into action. 

Alzheimer’s Society is aiming to have one million Dementia Friends by 2015, to help make England more dementia friendly and improve the lives of the 670,000 people currently living with the condition.

Speaking following the session, Michelle said: “Today’s Dementia Friends session in Bolton was fantastic and the feedback from participants was really positive. 

“It gives me such satisfaction to speak to people about dementia and how it affects people’s everyday lives.”

Michelle signed up to be a Dementia Friends Champion earlier this year and attended a one day training course on how to deliver the sessions.

She continued: “Less than half of us think we know enough about dementia. Dementia Friends is the perfect opportunity to be able to invite everyone up and down the country to improve their knowledge. 

“Dementia Friends isn’t about creating experts, it’s about helping people understand a little bit more about what it’s like to live with the condition and then turn that understanding into action - anyone of any age can be a Dementia Friend.”



Bolton Wanderers are currently planning more sessions across various areas moving forward and are also looking into opportunities to support raising awareness in the wider Bolton community.

Join Dementia Friends today and help create more communities that are dementia friendly. 

For more information, please visit dementiafriends.org.uk where there is also the option to find your nearest Dementia Friends information session or to volunteer as a Dementia Friends Champion.

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