A CHARITY is urging people to consider volunteering to help residents with dementia.

Alzheimer’s Society’s Side by Side service in Hambleton and Richmondshire is looking for volunteers to pair up with people affected by dementia who share a common interest or hobby.

The organisations say two-thirds of people living with dementia feel trapped in their homes, with almost one in ten only leaving the house once a month.

The Side by Side service was designed in response to Alzheimer’s Society research that shows people living with dementia are more at risk of loneliness than the general population - with a third of people reporting to have lost friends since their diagnosis.

Side by Side uses a new approach to volunteering by matching people through their shared interests. It has proved so popular with people living with dementia that the charity is calling on more volunteers to be paired up.

The service matches people with shared interests such as football or gardening. The top activities people with dementia want to do include walks to beaches and nature spots, visiting places such as museums or trips to garden centres.

Fiona Baker, Side by Side coordinator for Hambleton and Richmondshire said: “Isolation and loneliness can be a huge problem for people living with dementia, yet we know that one of the most important things for those affected is to remain part of their community and continue to do the things they love - from going shopping to enjoying a local football match.

“Our new Side by Side service in Hambleton and Richmondshire is crucial to support people with dementia to feel a part of their communities.

“By 2021, it is estimated that there will be a million people living with the condition, so it is vital that we all unite against dementia and do what we can to make a meaningful difference, such as becoming a volunteer.”

Anyone interested in volunteering in Hambleton and Richmondshire should contact Fiona Baker on; fiona.baker@alzheimers.org.uk or 01748-825817.