London mayor vows to make 'greatest city in the world' dementia friendly

London mayor Sadiq Khan met people with dementia at an Alzheimer’s Society event yesterday and said: “London is the greatest city in the world. However, for those Londoners living with dementia and their carers, we can do much more to make the capital a more welcoming and accessible place.”

The mayor also revealed that he and 150 City Hall staff have now become ‘Dementia Friends’.

Addressing an audience at the Society’s first annual Dementia Friendly London Summit as part of Dementia Action Week, the mayor admitted that the country’s capital needs to do more to make it more accessible for those with the condition.

Mr Khan continued: “To make a difference, and to become a dementia-friendly city, we all need to work together. Today’s summit demonstrates a collective commitment by the GLA, Alzheimer’s Society and many other bodies to create a truly dementia-friendly London.

“I’ve become a Dementia Friend alongside 150 other City Hall staff. Transport for London has integrated dementia awareness into its equalities training programme and will roll out Dementia Friends sessions across its entire workforce. And all Team London volunteers for the Euro 2020 championships will be Dementia Friends too.

“The sky’s the limit and we can all take action. We all have a role to play to ensure that people affected by dementia in London – no matter who they are or where they live – are able to live well with the condition and enjoy all our vibrant city has to offer.”

There are currently over 72,000 people in London living with dementia, according to deputy mayor, Joanne McCartney.

This number is predicted to increase, and in response, the mayor has signed a pledge to say that people affected by dementia in London should be able to:

• Travel to where they want to go safely

• Live somewhere they feel supported, understood and included in community life

• Receive the help they need to access quality health, care and support services

• Be able to participate in all that London has to offer in arts, culture and leisure

• Feel confident to visit local high streets and town centres

The Alzheimer’s Society has been working with the Greater London Authority (GLA) and others to aim for 2,000 dementia friendly organisations in the capital, along with 500,000 ‘Dementia Friends’ and for every London borough to work towards becoming a dementia-friendly community (currently there are only 11 boroughs signed up to the Dementia Friendly Communities Recognition Process).

Scott Mitchell, husband of the actor Dame Barbara Windsor, who revealed earlier this month that she had Alzheimer’s, after keeping it a secret from the public for four years, said: “It’s amazing to see Londoners uniting to make the capital a place where people with dementia, like Barbara, are understood, respected and supported. We are fully behind the Mayor’s commitment to make London a dementia-friendly city.”

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Dementia is the greatest health challenge we face and London is taking a lead in facing up to that challenge.

“With such strong commitment from the Mayor of London, alongside hundreds of thousands of Dementia Friends across the capital, London is set to lead all capital cities in becoming dementia-friendly.

“The message of today is that we all have a part to play. Businesses, councils, faith groups and community organisations are uniting with Alzheimer’s Society against dementia.”