A new initiative aiming to revolutionise the way people suffering with dementia are seen and treated in Bucks is setting out its stall in Stokenchurch on Thursday.

Everyone who lives or works in the village is invited to the Memorial Hall for the event to find out more about dementia and memory impairments.

They will also find out more ways to make it easier for people living with the conditions and their carers to live more independently in their community.

A meeting held earlier this month in Stokenchurch brought together various members of the community to form an alliance to push the idea of a ‘dementia-friendly community’. It is hoped that the launch event on Thursday will encourage even more people to lend their help.

Dr Murphy, senior partner at Stokenchurch Medical Centre, said: "The first meeting was highly informative and it was encouraging to meet so many people who wish to support this initiative and become 'dementia friends'."

Dr Smitha Pillai, Principal at the Stokenchurch Dental Care, also involved in the initiative, said: "There is a lot of taboo and stigma associated with dementia which needs to be overcome.

"People living with dementia need to be able to interact within the society around them; they need to feel secure and confident. At the same time, the parishioners in our village need to be supportive and empathetic and treat people with dementia with a little kindness because, after all, it could happen to them."

Organisations including the Alzheimer’s Society, Age UK, and Carers Bucks will join Buckinghamshire County Council and GP representatives to host the event.

Annet Gamell, chief clinical officer at Chiltern CCG, said: "For Buckinghamshire, in 2014 more than 6,500 people over the age of 65 are recorded as having diagnosed dementia and this is projected to stand at over 8,000 by 2020. We've been working over the last 18 months to speed up diagnosis, but we all need to improve our understanding and awareness of dementia."

The Dementia-Friendly Communities initiative aims to support communities to work together and respond more positively towards people living with dementia or memory impairments by boosting public awareness and understanding about how the condition can affect a person’s ability can live, day-to-day.

The event runs at the Memorial Hall on Thursday, January 29, from 10am to 4pm.