South Tyneside Council is leading the way in developing a new approach to helping people with dementia. Leading from the front, the majority of councillors are trained as “Dementia Friends” and plans are in place to extend the training to more front-line teams from housing staff to parking attendants. Dementia Friends is a national initiative run by the Alzheimer's Society. It aims to increase awareness of dementia and change the way the nation thinks, talks and acts about dementia. By becoming Dementia Friends, the Council is a step nearer achieving dementia-friendly status which aims to help people living with dementia, and their carers, remain part of their community for longer, supporting them to live better lives.