Join Leadership Groups to build a dementia-friendly B.C.

This National Volunteer Week, we join organizations across Canada to applaud the volunteers who enable us to organize events and provide support to people affected by dementia. From April 25-30, read stories shared by volunteers, Society staff and clients that celebrate the positive impact volunteers have on our communities.

People living with and affected by dementia are integral to creating a dementia-friendly society. They share their direct experience of dementia to help us better understand the challenges their communities face. This essential input helps ensure programs and services are designed with their best interests and needs in mind.

The Alzheimer Society of B.C. works with two volunteer advisory committees, which we call Leadership Groups – one for people living with dementia and another for caregivers – to influence the direction of our advocacy, research and programming. These groups present people affected by dementia with a platform to guide our work while allowing us to support their desire to advocate for change.

The Leadership Groups were originally set up to provide input and counsel for the Society’s Dementia-Friendly Communities initiative; now, volunteers in this program are connected much more broadly to all the Society’s initiatives. They act as advocates for people affected by dementia, serving as spokespeople, consultants and experts. Over the past few years, each Leadership Group has met several times annually to discuss a variety of programs, initiatives and campaigns.

We are currently in the process of implementing new strategies to grow these groups so more people with lived experience have the opportunity to voice their concerns and align their interests with our work.

Our vision is that these Leadership Groups become even more representative of different experiences, backgrounds and identities, and that group members have the flexibility to contribute to projects that align with their interests. As they contribute to future projects – like reviewing existing programs and services, helping develop new programming or guiding the development of campaigns related to advocacy, dementia-friendly communities or growing general awareness – these volunteers will be invited to participate according to the needs and the timelines of the particular project. Meanwhile, we will continue to work with anyone with lived experience who wants to help build awareness by sharing their stories, as media spokespeople, event participants, and more.