WEST Devon residents suffering with dementia and their carers are being invited to join a campaign to create a dementia friendly community in Tavistock.

The campaign is being spearheaded by Tavistock Rotary Club, which is looking to form a local steering group to work with a number of local groups to develop the initiative.

A Dementia Friendly Community (DFC) is one that recognises and embraces the challenges that a life with dementia presents to people with the illness and their carers, enabling them to live life to its full potential.

Geri Parlby, chairman of REPoD (Rotarians Easing Problems of Dementia), said: 'If a group of like-minded people were to get together in Tavistock, we could turn our town into a model of dementia excellence, so that no-one newly diagnosed ever has to walk the lonely dementia journey alone. How is this achieved? By working collaboratively and building on the strengths that are already present in the town, to develop a beacon dementia friendly community that will provide the inspiration for other towns and villages to follow.'

Tavistock Rotary has a number of objectives to focus on over the coming months. These include:

l identifying the key partners, services, activities and businesses to develop a local map of 'the people and the place'

l engage with and increase the knowledge and understanding of all key players to bring dementia to the top of the local agenda

l challenge the stigma, myths and misconceptions about dementia by opening the channels of communication and removing the barriers to change what stereotyping can bring

l work with local services and businesses to make the community a dynamic and friendly place for people with dementia, their carers, families and friends to live and work in as well as to visit.