Dementia UK, the specialist dementia nurse charity, in partnership with Leeds Building Society, is launching free face-to-face ‘Closer to Home’ clinics, to provide life-changing support to individuals and families living with dementia across the UK.
The clinics will be held in different Leeds Building Society branch locations over the coming months, bringing emotional and practical support to those impacted by dementia through the charity’s specialist dementia nurses, known as Admiral Nurses.
The national tour of face-to-face clinics will offer a safe, comfortable and private space for families, carers and friends to discuss any aspect of dementia and receive the specialist support of Admiral Nurses.
In April 2020, Dementia UK and Leeds Building Society announced a four-year partnership to raise £500,000 to help over 2,500 families living with dementia across the UK.
As part of this partnership, the innovative ‘Closer to Home’ project was also launched in June 2021, to improve access to dementia care and support.
Through fundraising by the Society, colleagues and members, the target of £500,000 has now been reached and because of it, the charity has been able to develop and deliver the project and enabled families to book a virtual appointment with a specialist dementia nurse.
Between June 2021 and November 2022, over 3,200 families have been helped through ‘Closer to Home’ virtual clinics, held over the phone or video call. The face-to-face clinics will now allow more families to access the services.
Paul Edwards, Director of Clinical Services at Dementia UK, said:
“We are extremely proud of our ‘Closer to Home’ clinics and have received wonderful feedback from families with dementia who have been supported by our Admiral Nurses virtually.
Community services have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of funding has meant that families have come to rely on alternative means of support.
“With dementia being a huge and growing health crisis and an estimated 944,000 people currently living with the condition in the UK, reaching more families has never been more urgent.
We are really looking forward to delivering face-to-face appointments in branches across Leeds Building Society’s communities. We are grateful to Leeds Building Society for showing their continued support and commitment to helping families with dementia.”
Richard Fearon, CEO of Leeds Building Society, said:
“Dementia UK was voted as our charity partner by our members and colleagues, and we are thrilled to announce that we’ve already exceeded the £500,000 fundraising target we set ourselves to support the fantastic work they do.
“We are proud to be able to work with the charity to help bring dementia care closer to home.
We believe everyone who needs the support of a specialist dementia nurse should get one in a safe and secure environment, and we are glad to be able to offer space in our network of branches across the UK to allow this.”
To book a confidential and in-person appointment with an Admiral Nurse, visit dementiauk.org/closer-to-home
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The clinics will be taking in the following Leeds Building Society branches on:
- 17th – 19th January in Leeds Central
- 24th – 26th January in Cross Gates
- 31st – 2nd February in Moortown
- 7th – 9th February in Newcastle
- 14th – 16th February in Newcastle
- 21st – 23rd February in York, Hull and Harrogate
- 28th – 2nd March in York, Hull and Wetherby
- 7th – 9th March in York, Hull and Harrogate
- 14th – 16th March in Barnsley
- 21st – 23rd March in Sheffield
- 28th – 30th March in Doncaster
Further branches across the UK will be added from April onwards.
(Pictured – Specialist dementia nurses, known as Admiral Nurses, will support families living with dementia)
About Dementia UK
Dementia UK is the specialist dementia nurse charity. The charity’s Admiral Nurses provide life-changing support for families affected by all forms of dementia.
Admiral Nurses work in hospitals, GP practices and local community and national services, including the charity’s national Helpline and virtual clinics, to provide clinical, emotional and practical support which enables people to live more positively with dementia.
If you need advice or support on living with dementia, contact Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline on 0800 888 6678 or email helpline@dementiauk.org. The Helpline is staffed by experienced Admiral Nurses. You can also book a free video or phone appointment to get expert dementia support from an Admiral Nurse. Find out more at dementiauk.org/book-an-appointment.
For more information visit www.dementiauk.org, follow Dementia UK on Twitter: @DementiaUK, and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DementiaUK
About Leeds Building Society
Leeds Building Society operates throughout the UK and had assets of £24.1bn at 30 June 2022 (£21.1bn 30 June 2021). The UK’s fifth-largest building society has its head office in the centre of Leeds, where it was founded in 1875.
The Society won the title of Best Shared Ownership Mortgage Lender in the 2022 What Mortgage Awards, its seventh consecutive year of success in this category. It also received a Gold Ribbon from Fairer Finance for savings accounts for the fifth year running, based on customer happiness and trust, along with the ability to explain things clearly.
The UK’s fifth largest building society has pledged to donate £1.5m to good causes between 2021-2025. So far, employees and members have raised over £400,000 for Dementia’s UK’s Closer to Home project, which provides much needed support to families living with dementia.
In 2022 the Society, it’s members and employees raised over £100,000 in response to the emergency in Ukraine, and earlier this year the Society donated £25,000 to the DEC Pakistan flood appeal. Every employee receives 14 paid volunteering hours and has an opportunity to nominate charities, environmental and community projects to receive a share of £250,000.
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