A COUNCILLOR who used her time as a town mayor to raise awareness of dementia will host a free event aimed at sufferers and their carers.

Durham County Councillor for Spennymoor Pat Lawton, who is also a member of Spennymoor Town Council and supported Dementia Friends as mayor in 2015-16, will not stand for re-election to either authority in May.

To end her time in office she has pulled together organisations that work with people who have dementia or are close to someone who does to take part in a dementia friendly memories day at Spennymoor Town Hall, from 10am to 2pm on Friday.

She said: “There are so many more people across Spennymoor and the county living with dementia or looking after someone with it, yet it is still stigmatised.

“I think some suffer in silence and many don’t know what support is available.

“It can affect young and old, so I wanted to have a day that brought a lot of those organisations together so people know where to get help but to give it a table-top, fun day feel that is about sharing memories and social inclusion.”

Along with charity, community, social and housing groups there will be old picture displays by photographer George Teasdale and the police and refreshments. There will be a memory walk at 10.30am, Whitworth Park School band performance at 11am and a tea-dance from 12.30pm to 1.45pm.