Businesses and organisations from across Trowbridge have pledged to make the town more dementia-friendly.

The launch of Dementia Friendly Trowbridge came at the end of the first regional conference in dementia care organised by Trowbridge-based charity Alzheimer’s Support.

Guest speaker Jamie Anderson told of how his father, Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson, was helped and at times, hindered, by people working in shops and restaurants when he was affected by Alzheimer’s in his later years.

Organisations from Selwood Housing to Trowbridge Town Council M’Dame and M’Sieur hair salon then came up on to the stage to pledge what they were going to do to make their organisations more dementia-friendly. Mayor of Trowbridge Cllr Linda Self declared: “I am proud to be a Dementia Friend” and pupils from Holbrook Primary School, who are learning about dementia, read out a poem they had written.

Pledges were also made by Trowbridge Town Council, Tesco Extra, Trowbridge Library, Adcroft Surgery, the Sensory Garden, Andrea Henley Taxis, Trowbridge Museum, Bethseda Baptist Church, Roses Gardening Services, Carewatch, Trowbridge Arts, Nutricia,and Trowbridge Area Board, which sponsored the event with the town council.

Tony Whitney, whose wife was diagnosed with early onset dementia in her early 50s spoke of the difference that could be made by increasing everyone’s understanding of the condition. He ended by thanking Trowbridge for taking the first steps along the way.

Claire Thomas, dementia aware project worker for Alzheimer’s Support, said: “People with dementia and their carers can feel very isolated and it’s encouraging to see such a wide range of businesses and groups doing what they can to help people feel welcomed in the town. This is just the beginning of a process and it will take time to make real changes but it is a great start.

“We are calling on more groups and businesses to join in and do what they can – whether by taking up our offer of free dementia awareness sessions for staff, or undertaking to phone people to remind them of appointments, or providing personal shoppers as Tesco is pledging to do. All these actions will add up to making Trowbridge a better place for people affected by dementia."

The conference at the Civic Centre was attended by 130 delegates who heard about innovative approaches in dementia care and latest research updates.