CRICKHOWELL’S bid to become a dementia-friendly town received a boost at a fundraising event in the Town on Saturday, September 16 at which thousands of pounds was raised to support research and assist those with the condition.

‘We are all afraid of the dark, so we need to put the lights on,’ was the message from speaker, Chris Roberts who was diagnosed with early onset dementia. Chris is the subject of a BBC Panorama film made by Crickhowell journalist, Tim Jones.

Tim spent eighteen months working on the film with Chris and Jane, recording everyday tasks and Chris’s struggle with the increasing difficulties in dealing with everyday events such as boiling a kettle.

Chris, supported by wife Jane who is now also his carer, has spoken all over the world about his journey with dementia since being diagnosed six years ago and has championed the efforts of the Alzheimer’s Society to redefine how the condition is perceived by the public.

‘People assume it is something old people get and that it is just about losing your memory, but it is much more; there are communication problems, difficulties in multi-tasking, vision, perception and even balance,’ explained Chris.

He added, ‘We must think about the things we can all do to make communities more dementia friendly and the biggest thing is to stop treating it as something unspeakable.

“If we all learn about it, educate ourselves, we can turn communities into places where people feel understood instead of embarrassed.

“I know I have dementia, but with your support, Dementia need not have me.’