AN ILMINSTER woman has joined forces with famous news anchor Angela Rippon to raise awareness of “the 21st century’s biggest killer.”

Local Solicitor, Sally Lowe, of the Ilminster Dementia Action Alliance, recently attended the Dementia 2020 Conference in London where representatives from local government, Adult Social Care, NHS England and other leading organisations met to assess the challenge on Dementia 2020.

Now, she is bringing the cause to Ilminster with an event at the Minster church.

Alzheimer’s Society has labelled dementia as the century’s biggest killer, but says there is a problem with raising awareness.

Dementia 2020 was chaired by Angela Rippon and the star of dementia awareness adverts, Gina Shaw.

Sally said: “I was inspired by the commitment of so many different organisations and I hope here in the Ilminster community we can increase our awareness and turn our efforts towards providing greater support for those diagnosed and their family members who are all affected by this illness.

“There are already so many excellent organisations and groups doing wonderful work but we need to try to bring them all together under one umbrella as at the moment it can be very confusing to access all the resources that are out there.

“Local people are coming together and many are prepared to go that extra mile to raise both awareness and money to support the local community in the efforts to provide greater resources and support for those affected by the illness.

“By uniting in Ilminster, we can raise awareness, offer help and support to all those who have or are caring for someone with dementia in our community.”

During Dementia Awareness Week, Sally will be on the panel for a dementia forum at the Minster Church on May 17.

The event will see Dr Jennifer Bute, a former GP, share first hand knowledge of what it is like to live with Dementia.

Sally added: “I hope to have an opportunity to dispel any concerns people may have about making a lasting power of attorney document which can play a vital role in assisting anyone who may have difficulty managing their affairs due to an illness like dementia.

For more information on the Minster panel, contact Rev Deborah Perreau on 01460 67168.

To get in touch with Sally, call Milford and Dormor Solicitors on 01460 55445, or Claire Kingdon on 01460 52760.