Volunteer and carer for 20 years aims to make Bristol the most dementia friendly city

Tony Hall has worked tirelessly alongside  dedicated volunteers in order to improve life for those with dementia and their carers in Bristol.

He is the Chairman of the BDDA (Bristol Dementia Action Alliance) and aims to ensure that Bristol is a dementia friendly city, whilst acting as a sole full time carer, as he has done for the last 20 years for his wife, Barbara.

Alongside a team of 14 volunteers, Tony runs ‘Happy Days Memory Café’ at Westbury Baptist Church. This is a café and social event that unites people with dementia and their carers together to engage with entertainment and to enjoy the company of others.

“Our aim is to make Bristol not just a dementia friendly city but the dementia friendly city. What I mean by that is that anybody with dementia that lives here, works here, visits here, comes here on holiday, goes to school, community groups or faith groups here, anybody will be treated with common decency and respect.”

“We utilise ‘Dementia Friends’ and the ‘Purple Angel Campaign’ and the idea is that they’re there to increase awareness of dementia within the community.

“Bristol is a very diverse city and we talk to anybody and everybody regardless of colour, sexuality, whatever it is that identifies them as a community.

“They're still members of the family and members of the community. They’re still a person but they are just ill and that’s why we train our volunteers to talk to the person with dementia as well as the carer.’

Full article https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/volunteer-carer-20-years-aims-3473755