TAVISTOCK Golf Club has this week been recognised as a dementia-friendly organisation — a first for Great Britain and Ireland.

With more than 2,700 golf clubs in the British Isles, Tavistock is the very first to achieve the dementia-friendly status — and members are proud to have received the recognition.

Initial research in Tavistock revealed that those with a dementia, the majority of whom live at home, want to keep in touch with their friends and social communities as they always have done, which included playing golf.

Almost 100 members of Tavistock Golf Club received dementia-awareness training and the club has conducted an audit of the clubhouse environment to ensure factors such as signage and use of contrasting colours support those with a dementia.

Club president John Harding said: 'We are proud that we were the first social organisation in Tavistock to support the initiative and even more proud that we are now the first golf club in Great Britain and Ireland to achieve the recognition.

'We have always been an integral part of community life in Tavistock and while we are very pleased at gaining the status we hope many other organisations in the town will aspire to do the same.'

In June 2012 members of the Rotary Club of Tavistock decided to create a project group with the aim of participating in the Prime Minister's challenge of creating dementia-friendly communities across the UK.

The group, the Tavistock Dementia Action Alliance, strives to create a dementia-friendly community in the town by involving everyone in heightening awareness and the understanding of dementia and its symptoms.

Tavistock town mayor Cllr Harry Smith praised the club on its success: 'I congratulate Tavistock Golf Club on being the first golf club to achieve this recognition.

'I hope this award provides encour-agement to many other organisations to strive to be recognised as dementia-friendly.

'It is my hope that the work of the Tavistock Dementia Action Alliance is boosted by this achievement and a wider dementia-friendly community will soon be part of our special town.'

The group gained the encouragement of Angela Rippon, national co-chair of the Dementia-Friendly Communities Champion Group, to act as patron for the Tavistock Alliance which was formally launched in December 2012 at a Dementia Awareness Day in Tavistock Town Hall.

Tony Parker, chairman of the Tavistock Dementia Action Alliance and the Devon Dementia Care and Support Partnership, said the golf club was one of the first social and sporting organisations in the town to commit to becoming dementia-friendly.

'Now it is the first to achieve recognition as being dementia-friendly. We provided training through the dementia-friends champion scheme to both staff and members and now we also hope to establish a "befriending scheme" where members can volunteer to support those with a dementia and their carers on the golf course.'

The new national symbol is awarded to any organisation that commits to assist Tavistock in becoming dementia-friendly.

Staff of the business or social organisation receive appropriate training and briefing to increase their awareness and understanding of dementia.

For more information contact Mr Parker at [email protected]">[email protected]

The golf club is now entitled to display the national symbol which demonstrates to a person with dementia or their carer that they will be welcomed and can expect understanding, respect and support.

Anyone who would like further information about the dementia-friendly community scheme visit http://www.tavistockdementia">www.tavistockdementia. org