A CHARITY worker from Bradford on Avon has scooped up a national award for her efforts to raise awareness of dementia.

Claire Thomas, special projects coordinator for Alzheimer's Support, won the Community Engagement category at the third Sector Care Awards and received her award from Dame Esther Rantzen at a ceremony in London this week.

She was nominated for her role in setting up a partnership with Trowbridge's Holbrook Primary School which is now being followed by other schools in Wiltshire, for launching the Trowbridge's dementia-friendly community initiative and for personally creating more than 1,000 Dementia Friends in Trowbridge, Bradford on Avon, Westbury and Warminster.

Alzheimer's Support Head of Communications and Engagement Stephany Bardzil said: "We are so proud of Claire. She has worked tirelessly to bring our message of dementia awareness to organisations and businesses across West Wiltshire.

"Over the past two years many thousands of people have heard her message about how to be more welcoming and understanding of people living with dementia and their carers."

This is the second national award for Alzheimer's Support in less than a month. In November the charity's Support at Home service won the Best Team in the national Dementia Care Awards.

CEO Babs Harris said: "I am bursting with pride that our small Wiltshire outfit is standing out amongst some much larger, better funded organisations, and that the excellent work of our staff is being recognised on a national stage."