A new charity in Brent has been set up to improve the lives of all people living with dementia led by a woman who has the condition.

Dianne Campbell, from Wembley, was diagnosed with a dementia at the age of 47, and is a founding member of Community Action on Dementia-Brent (CAD-Brent).

The charity aims to create a dementia friendly borough so that all people living with memory loss, whether diagnosed or not, can continue to live active and independent lives through the support of the community where they live.

Ms Campbell. 49, said: “It is so very important to me that people understand that dementia is not just an old aged condition. I am living with vascular dementia in Brent. I want to continue to do my daily activities but when I get confused it would help if the people I ask for support or advice understand and take the time to be helpful.”

She added: ‘Look after your health; living healthy and active lives may prevent a person from developing vascular dementia. You can’t reverse the process once diagnosed but if you are a person living with it, you can live well with this disability with the support and understanding of your community.”

Ms Campbell wants to set up a peer support group where people living with his diagnosis making it the first group in Brent led by a person living with dementia.

A registered charity, CAD Brent is a strategic group made up of various charities, members and Brent Council officers, local residents and businesses who meet monthly to plan various actions.

CAD-Brent is calling on businesses, services, individuals living and working in Brent to come forward and support this ambitious aim to be a dementia friendly borough.

The initiative was inspired by the work of Irish of Britain who approached Brent to offer support in setting up a dementia friendly borough.

Dr Mary Tilki, a member of the strategic group and chair of Irish in Britain, said ‘Working on the needs of the Irish community living with memory loss we are aware that the Irish have similar unmet needs to our peers in other minority ethnic communities.

“We approached Brent and offered our support to create a dementia friendly borough and we ensure that the needs of minority communities are central to our plans.”

For more information contact Charlotte Curran on 020 7697 4081 or visit irishinbritain.org.