The Winchester & Chandler's Ford MP joined 200 other MPs and representatives from Alzheimer's Society in Portcullis House, Westminster on Tuesday 10th September to provide a handwritten statement of the action they will take to support people with dementia and their carers.
Steve pledged to work with Alzheimer's Society to improve support for people with dementia, tackle the stigma attached to dementia and raise awareness in his constituency.
Steve said: "I am delighted to support Alzheimer's Society, and know just how hard the team works in tackling this truly dreadful condition. One in three people over 65 will develop dementia, and it is a health issue that we can no longer afford to ignore."
Alzheimer's Society campaigners were in Westminster to drum up political support for their trailblazing Dementia Friends initiative that launched in February this year. Dementia Friends aims to help people understand what it might be like to live with dementia and turn that understanding into action. Alzheimer's Society is aiming to have one million Dementia Friends by 2015, to help make England more dementia-friendly and improve the lives of the 650,000 people currently living with the condition.
During the afternoon, 30 MPs from across England took part in a Dementia Friends session. Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive at Alzheimer's Society said: "Most people don't know enough about dementia. Dementia Friends is the perfect opportunity to be able to invite everyone to improve their knowledge.
"We are pleased to have been able to engage over 130 MPs in one day. They have a huge influence in their local communities and we hope they will use this opportunity to take action and improve lives."
More information ...
If you are interested in becoming a Dementia Friend or helping create more communities that are dementia friendly, go to www.dementiafriends.org.uk