Edward has joined staff, residents, local people, and supporters of Dementia UK at Cedar Mews Care Home's summer fete in Birstall, where he backed Dementia UK's local campaign to raise the money for an Admiral Nurse for Leicestershire and Leicester.
The event, organised by Cedar Mews who specialise in providing residential care to people with dementia, brought people from across the community together to have a fun day, to see Cedar Mews, and also gave local Dementia UK supporters an opportunity to raise awareness of their work, and to get support for their recently launched campaign to raise the £50,000 needed to fund an Admiral specialist dementia nurse' for Leicestershire and Leicester. More information on Dementia UK and Admiral Nurses can be found at: www.dementiauk.org
Edward, who in Parliament is Co-Chairman of the All-Party Group on Dementia, said: "It was fantastic to be able to visit Cedar Mews summer fete in Birstall to hear more about the work the home does, not only for its residents but also through events like this to play a central part in the local community, and I want to congratulate the team there on a great day.
As someone who has long championed increased awareness and improved dementia care services in this country, I was also absolutely delighted to meet up with local supporters of Dementia UK, many of whom I've had the pleasure of meeting before, to add my support to their campaign which was recently reported in the Leicester Mercury to raise the money needed for specialist dementia care Admiral Nurse for our county.
Dementia could affect any of us as we get older, and its vital that we continue to build on the progress that has been made in recent years in increasing awareness of dementia; pressing ahead with medical research to try to find ways of treating it; and in improving the care and support people with dementia and their families receive. That's why events like this one at Cedar Mews, and organisations like Dementia UK and all their amazing volunteer supporters, are so important, and why I will continue to champion this issue."