Councillor is raising awareness of dementia through walking challenge
A Burntwood Town councillor is taking on a walking challenge this month to raise awareness of dementia.
Councillor Carolyn Gittings, accepted Dementia UK’s challenge to walk a mile a day for every day in September.
A keen walker, she is part of Burton Town Council’s working group on making Burntwood a Dementia Friendly
Town. By taking on the challenge, she wants to highlight the impacts of dementia on families but also to raise awareness of the council’s aim.
She said: “Dementia blights the lives of sufferers and their families and we want to do all we can as a town to help them out by making sure we are inclusive as possible.
"Caring for a loved one with dementia can be a very lonely job and the message we hope to send out is that there are many people in our community who are willing to offer support and help.”
The working group is about to embark on a consultation with dementia sufferers and their carers which will form part of an exhibition to be shown around the town.
Chair of the Council, Councillor Di Evans, who’s coordinating the work on the Dementia Friendly Town, said: "With increasing numbers of people experiencing dementia and the fact that there are parts of the town with higher than average rates, we want to raise awareness among residents and businesses.
"I made a pledge when I became Chair that I would raise funds to support local work on dementia and the council hopes people will join Carolyn’s challenge.”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/walk30milesinseptember2021/
