Deborah Farrell, Community Manager at Coventry Dementia Partnership Hub and Jodie Cotterrell, Deputy CEO from Carers Trust Heart of England, explain why this week is important. 

"Dementia Action Week matters because it pushes dementia out of the shadows and into public conversation, where real change begins. It reminds communities that dementia isn’t just a medical condition — it’s a social responsibility. The week encourages earlier diagnosis, reduces stigma, and empowers families to seek support rather than struggle alone. Most importantly, it encourages people to take practical steps that make life more dignified, connected, and hopeful for those living with dementia. Our motto is that people can live well with dementia." 

"Dementia Action Week is an important opportunity to pause, raise awareness and recognise the impact dementia has not only on the person living with the condition, but also on the families, friends and unpaid carers who walk alongside them every day.

At Carers' Trust Heart of England, we know that dementia can change relationships, routines and family life in ways that are often emotional, complex and exhausting. For many carers, the caring role grows gradually, and people may not always recognise themselves as carers or know that support is available.

Acknowledging Dementia Action Week helps us to open those conversations with kindness and understanding. Nobody should have to manage dementia or caring responsibilities alone. Through our Day Break services, home care support and wider carer support offer, we aim to provide practical help, reassurance, respite and meaningful connection for people living with dementia and those who care for them.

This week is not only about awareness; it is about action. By sharing information, listening to lived experience, and helping people access support, we can help reduce isolation, promote dignity and ensure carers and families feel seen, valued and supported.

If you are caring for someone living with dementia, or you feel a loved one may need additional support, please reach out to us. You do not have to wait until things feel overwhelming. Carers' Trust Heart of England can offer information, guidance and support around caring responsibilities, access to Day Break services, home care support and wider carer wellbeing support.

Every Forget Me Not tells a story, and when millions wear it, it becomes something far greater.

It’s a movement of hope, of action and unity, a visible reminder that it will take a society to beat dementia.

• 1 in 3 people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime, its cruelty overwhelms families, and its scale overwhelms our health and care systems, we all have a part to play in the Forget Me Not Appeal.

• Dementia is the UK's biggest killer, at Alzheimer’s Society, we’re leading the way, together with the people it touches, to create a future where dementia no longer devastates lives.

• Every Forget Me Not brings us closer to research breakthroughs that will improve how we diagnose and treat dementia and helps provide vital support for people living with it today.

• Every Forget Me Not tells a story, behind each badge, there are stories of lives devastated by dementia, of crucial support from Dementia Advisers helping people navigate the huge daily challenges of life with dementia, and the researchers searching for breakthroughs. Whatever your story, please join Alzheimer’s Society’s Forget Me Not Appeal this May.

• Our Forget Me Not, and the stories behind it are a visible reminder that it will take a society to beat dementia. Together, we can change the way we live with dementia, we can get closer to diagnosing dementia early and developing treatments that will give people more precious time with their loved ones, and we’ll be able to continue to provide the support to make people’s darkest days brighter.

Whatever your story, please join Alzheimer’s Society’s Forget Me Not Appeal this year. It will take a society to beat dementia. Alzheimer’s Society.