- Alzheimer’s Society to remain Cadent’s official charity until June 2020
- Cadent aims to become an ever more dementia friendly utility and raise another £100,000 for Alzheimer’s Society
- Announcement comes as nation marks Dementia Action Week
A highly successful partnership between Alzheimer’s Society and Cadent has been extended for a further year as Britain’s biggest gas distribution network continues its quest to become an ever more dementia friendly utility.
As events take place across the country for Dementia Action Week (May 20-26), Cadent has officially announced an agreement which will see Alzheimer’s Society remain Cadent’s official charity until June 2020.
The extension means Cadent can consolidate its work to increase dementia awareness among operational and support staff at the company.
Fundraising for the charity, which has so far seen Cadent employees raise well over £100,000 will also continue, with Cadent setting itself a target of raising an additional £100,000 by June 2020.
Cadent CEO Steve Hurrell said: “I’m delighted to announce that the Alzheimer’s Society will remain our official charity for a further year.
“Continuing the partnership will help ensure we continue embedding dementia awareness across the company as we push on with our quest to become an ever more dementia friendly utility.”
Jeremy Hughes, CEO of Alzheimer’s Society said: “We’re delighted that Cadent is partnering with us for a third year.
“The past two years has seen Cadent embed dementia friendly practices across their business as well as raise over £110,000 for Alzheimer’s Society.”
He added: “Extending the partnership will help ensure we build on these successes as Cadent works towards becoming an ever more dementia friendly utility.”
Activities Cadent has undertaken since the partnership began in 2017 have included
- Dementia awareness training sessions for staff at all levels – including a training session for the company Executive in summer 2018. These sessions help ensure that all aspects of Cadent operations help support both those living with dementia and those caring for someone with dementia.
- Training over 2,000 employees as Dementia Friends – people who undertake to learn about to dementia to help their community
- Provided a virtual reality experience for staff at the firm’s Coventry hub to give them an insight into the experiences of those with dementia
- Mapping Cadent’s safeguarding services and operational work practices for those living with dementia against the Dementia Friendly Utility (DFU) guidance to identify where Cadent are and plan for the future
- Developing and expanding a network of dementia champions within the company
- Providing free lockable cooker valves to enable carers of people living with dementia to cook a hot meal for them, and then isolate the gas supply to cookers when they are not there.
- Employees exceeding a fundraising target of £100,000 by almost £10,000 and six months ahead of schedule
- Alzheimer’s Society and Cadent co-hosted a dementia roundtable event for utilities in May 2019 which was also attended by Ofgem CEO Dermot Nolan* (For a full list of attending organisations see notes to editors)
Cadent Social Responsibility Specialist Laura Barnes said: “With the partnership being extended until 2020 we can build on the improvements we’ve made in the way we operate regarding customers who are living with dementia.
“We’re also working on creating a support package for our employees who are either diagnosed with dementia or who care for loved ones with dementia.”
ENDS