George responds to the proposal to cut the budget for the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies at Bradford University

Hi it’s George in North Shropshire,

I’m talking today about a proposal apparently … but maybe more than proposal, to cut the budget for the centre for Applied Dementia Studies at Bradford.

I’ve written an open letter, so I’m going to record it now…

I don’t know how many of you know about the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies at Bradford, but it has been going for quite some time and it is one of the best around and most established.

Although I am not geographically particularly close to Bradford and I’ve only recently become involved, I do believe that the department is an essential part of improving the support and care for people living-with-dementia across the UK.

The department has, and puts into practice, a strong commitment to co-production … ‘nothing about us without us’.

There are scores of people living with dementia, who campaign and work to improve the perception and reality of living, as well as we can, with dementia.

We give much of our later-lives to raising awareness and understanding, in helping design research and in helping to improve teaching for a better future.

We need the few centres of excellence that do exist to carry us in this work, to facilitate it and to hold politicians and NHSs ‘feet to the fire’.

The state of care and support for those living-with-dementia is appalling in most areas.
And our voices are essential in any change we can make.

It would be perhaps typical if dementia was seen as an easy place to find spending reductions.

Dementia is usually near the bottom of priorities for those in positions of influence and decision-making.

BUT I strongly believe that the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies at Bradford is one of the leading players in improving the lives of people with dementia and in influencing research and in teaching.

Not only do the staff carry out important and ground-breaking research, they provide a network of support for a lot of ‘influencers and campaigners’ like me, who live with dementia.
This is hugely important and highly valued.
We all work together, but unfortunately … together we fall

I hope, the Bradford University will rethink and not put severe budget cuts on the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies.