We are delighted to take on this interim joint role, leading an organisation that has people affected by dementia at the heart of everything it does. We are passionate about empowering people affected by dementia to get support that helps them to live their chosen lifestyle and play an active part in their communities. Everybody affected by dementia has the right to a full and happy life and we will make it our mission to ensure this is a reality.

We have both been in senior management roles at Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Services since April 2018 and have seen first-hand the excellent standards of care and support that is provided by this wonderful charity. During our time as senior managers  we have successfully developed the work of the charity. We have implemented a cloud based record management system, despite the fears of technology, everyone involved is now on-board and using this to help demonstrate the impact of the support we provide and focus on the individual’s outcomes. We have also reached out to our stakeholders, in health and social care, to work in partnership to achieve the best possible lifestyle for people affected by dementia. We look forward to working in partnership across the area to improve post diagnostic support and to ensure ongoing help is available to everyone who needs it.

We both value the importance of working collaboratively and will ensure the voice of people affected by dementia is heard in every decision we make. We will also be working with our extremely talented team of staff and volunteers to involve them in this new phase of the charity.

We are really proud of the services Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Services provides and would love for more people to benefit from our experience and expertise. For example, our Young Onset Dementia group, Kindred Spirits, is quite unique and we would like to develop this to be available to more people in more areas. Our new activity programme, Active Bodies Active Minds, has demonstrated the power of people affected by dementia coming together to enjoy participating in sports and leisure activities with their peers. By developing even more activity programmes, we want to champion the benefits of people living with dementia learning new skills. Other areas are not so lucky to have such a comprehensive range of ‘wrap around’ services. We are uniquely placed to do something about this, being Kent’s only independent dementia charity.

We recognise for a truly local independent charity these are uncertain times and so we will be working towards different funding opportunities, ensuring everyone knows about us and maximising the potential of our services. There are opportunities to get involved and help people affected by dementia live the life they want by joining us, fundraising for us or becoming a member.

We are truly excited about the future of our beloved charity and look forward to working with as many people as possible to help it go from strength to strength.