Cookery courses, art classes and gardening are among community projects in the running to win cash to make life better for thousands of people with dementia in Surrey.
More than 30 groups have either put in bids to win a share of a £50,000 pot of cash to help people with the condition stay in their own communities or have signalled their intention to apply.
The fund was created by Surrey County Council and three of the new clinical commissioning groups – Farnham and North East Hampshire, North West Surrey and Guildford and Waverley*.
The funding programme is part of a push to ensure Surrey is dementia friendly that has already seen plans put in place for a network of 11 advice centres across the county to give people information to spot the early signs of the condition.
Around 15,000 people in Surrey aged over 65 have dementia which equates to around one in 13 older people.
Mel Few, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: “Supporting vulnerable people is at the heart of what we do and this fund gives local groups the chance to help those with dementia stay in their communities in familiar surroundings. Applications and inquires about the fund are starting to roll in – exciting ideas are coming through to make a real difference to people’s lives.”
People have until September to bid for up to £5,000. Application forms can be obtained by emailing dementia.friendly@surreycc.gov.uk, by visiting www.dementiafriendlysurrey.org.uk or calling 01483 519006 or writing to Liz Tracey, Dementia Innovation Fund, Surrey County Council, Quadrant Court, 35 Guildford Road, Woking GU22 7QQ.
* Which now have responsibility for buying health services.
Surrey News 
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