Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks' (SSEN) Wessex region has donated �500 to Eastleigh Alzheimer's Society after the locally-based charity helped 350 SSEN staff become �Dementia Friends' at the company's recent safety sessions.
At the start of each year SSEN hosts �Back to Work' sessions which are designed to re-focus every member of staff's attentions on the 12 months ahead, with safety being the number one priority. In addition to working safely, general health and wellbeing is a key concern, and this year mental health, including dementia and Alzheimer's, was one of the main topics discussed by the 350 staff in the company's Wessex region.
A team from Eastleigh Alzheimer's Society was on hand to offer expert advice to staff who wanted to know more about the condition, have a friend or family member who is living with dementia, or may be concerned that someone they know may have undiagnosed dementia. They also held short �Dementia Friend' sessions which gave everyone more insight into what to look for when engaging with someone who has dementia, not just friends or family but also customers.
By way of a �thank you' to Eastleigh Alzheimer's Society, SSEN staff held a cake sale at each of their Back to Work sessions, and raised �200 in the process; this was followed by a further �300 donation from the region itself, in recognition of the difference this extra awareness will make to staff not just in their own personal lives, but also when they are out and about at work and speaking with customers who are living with dementia.
Jo Niven, SSEN's Head of Wessex Region, explains more about the link-up with Eastleigh Alzheimer's Society:
"Dementia has a massive impact not only to those living with the condition, but also on family and loved ones who want to help and support as much as they can. Teaming up with Eastleigh Alzheimer's Society, who kindly came along to our sessions and inducted each of our 350 colleagues as �Dementia Friends', will help everyone understand and appreciate the challenges that come with dementia that little bit more. We very much appreciated the team from Eastleigh Alzheimer's Society coming to our Back to Work sessions, and we hope this donation will enable them to continue with the invaluable work they do in the local community."
Gary Walker, Service Manager for the Alzheimer's Society, said: "My role as Service Manager for Alzheimer's Society covers the New Forest, Eastleigh and Southampton.Ouraim is toprovide information and support, improve care, fund research, and create lasting change for people affected by dementia. We can't do this alone, so I always welcome the opportunity to work with our partners and it has been great working alongside the team from SSEN. Together they havedemonstrated a realpassion to help and support people living with dementia. We are really looking forward to working together in 2018."
SSEN recognises that for customers with a particular reliance on electricity, for example those living with Alzheimer's or dementia, or have electrically-powered medical equipment, are elderly or have a young baby in the family, a power cut can be particularly challenging or distressing, and for these customers the company has its free Priority Service Register (PSR). The PSR offers extra help and support to eligible customers when the power goes off, and SSEN is encouraging anyone who thinks that they, a friend or member of the family, may be eligible for this free service to contact them on 0800 294 3259 or visit the dedicated page on their website: www.ssen.co.uk/PriorityServices.
The image on our front page shows (l-r) Gillian Merritt (Dementia Friendly Co-ordinator), Gary Walker (Service Manager for Alzheimer's Society), Jo Niven (Head of SSEN's Wessex Region) and Rebecca Botto (SSEN Customer and Community Advisor).