New Chairman of Selby District Council champions first Dementia Friendly Council

The newly appointed Chairman of Selby District Council, Richard Sweeting, is kick-starting an initiative to create the first Dementia Friendly Council in the UK, with support from care home provider Barchester Healthcare.

Richard Sweeting, who works as an Activities Coordinator at Barchester’s Highfield Care Home in Tadcaster was appointed Chairman of Selby District Council on 19th May following the District Council election.

An official ceremony was held at the Selby District Council Chamber last week to celebrate the appointment and Richard was joined at the event by colleagues from Barchester Healthcare who came to congratulate him and wish him a successful year in office.

Richard will be acting as Dementia Champion for the District as part of his new role as the Councils Chairman and is already taking steps to create the UK’s first Dementia Friendly Council.

In the first phase of the initiative, one of Barchester’s Dementia Care Specialists, David Owen, will be providing several short training sessions to members of Selby District Council over the coming weeks.

The Chairman of the Council, Richard Sweeting said: “I’m delighted to have been elected to serve the local community as Chairman of Selby District Council and look forward to the coming year, during which I will work hard to support the individuals who live in this area.

“As an Activities Coordinator at Highfield Care Home, issues around dementia are close to my heart. I think it’s fantastic that our District will be the first to have a Dementia Friendly Council and am proud to be working in partnership with Barchester Healthcare to make this trailblazing initiative a reality.”