Purley is a unique community. The independent shops and cafes, combined with numerous charity shops and estate agents with a large superstore make for an eclectic mix of visitors to the town centre.
There are many people who visit Purley town centre who are living with dementia.
We are very lucky to have store owners and staff who are patient and welcoming and want to make the area safe and pleasant for everyone.
We at Purley BID want to expand on the general kindness of our local community, and make Purley officially a Dementia Friendly Town. In conjunction with The Alzheimer’s Society and their Dementia Friends initiative, we hope to make Dementia Awareness Sessions available to all local business owners and their staff. We want to credit these local people who care about their community and their customers.
We want people living with dementia to maintain their independence and dignity for as long as possible and we want to create a positive environment for those living with dementia and create a synergy between them, their carers and the town.
There are initiatives across the country to acknowledge stores that are Dementia Friendly, where members of staff have undergone dementia awareness sessions, and have the understanding to make the community a safer place for those living with dementia.
Our plan is to provide a special window sticker for those stores whose staff have undergone a Dementia Awareness Session and are classed as Dementia Friendly. We believe that this will make an outing a much more pleasant experience for someone living with dementia, and reassure their carers that they are safe and will be welcomed.
If you are interested in getting more information or would like to organise a training session for your staff members, please contact Yuliana events@inpurley.london or call 07912261110.