ACS urges retailers to take part in Dementia Friends training

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has urged retailers and colleagues to start the new year by becoming a Dementia Friend.

The trade body is working in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society to host a number of virtual awareness sessions to create more Dementia Friends in the convenience sector.

The sessions, which are free for ACS members to attend, will be taking place on the 19th (4pm-5pm), 21st (10am-11am), 27th (12pm-1pm) and 29th (4pm-5pm) of this month.

“We are delighted to be working with Alzheimer’s Society to offer these virtual awareness sessions which will provide colleagues with the knowledge and practical skills that they need to assist customers and colleagues living with and affected by dementia,” James Lowman, ACS chief executive, said.

“Local shops operate at the heart of our communities and this means that we are uniquely placed to help the people visiting our stores and I would urge all colleagues in the convenience sector to start the new year by taking the time to become a Dementia Friend.”

At the start of 2020, ACS launched a campaign to create 25,000 Dementia Friends in the convenience sector to help customers, colleagues and communities affected by dementia. The trade body has last year conducted online awareness sessions in August and September.

Colleagues who complete the online sessions will receive a Dementia Friends badge which can be worn to encourage customers living with dementia to approach you if they are in need of assistance.

Colleagues can also become Dementia Friends by visiting dementiafriends.org.uk/dforganisations and entering campaign code ‘ACS25’ before watching the short videos.

More information about the campaign can be found here.