MORE than 22,000 people have signed up to become Dementia Friends in North Yorkshire.

The Alzheimer’s Society’s initiative was launched in 2013 to tackle the stigma that results in social exclusion for people with dementia and transform people's response to the condition.

Since then two million people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have become Dementia Friends - 22,810 of them in North Yorkshire.

Oscar-nominated actress and UK Global Dementia Friends Ambassador Carey Mulligan said: “Dementia can devastate lives – I’ve seen first-hand through my grandmother exactly how hard it can be and find the idea of people with dementia being excluded from society deeply distressing.

"Dementia Friends has made huge strides in tackling the social isolation many people with dementia experience and the two million milestone is an incredible achievement – but we have a long way to go before society is fully accepting and need people everywhere to unite against the cruel stigma associated with dementia.”

Judith King, operations manager in Yorkshire and the Humber for the charity said: “It’s encouraging to see what a difference can be made when people become Dementia Friends. Up and down the country, people are no longer being excluded in their own communities.

"The public response so far has been phenomenal, but we must not lose momentum as dementia continues to be the biggest health and social care crisis of our time.”

Anyone can become a Dementia Friend by watching an online video or attending an information session.