Press invitation to the launch of Dementia friendly walks on the Northern network

Northern in conjunction with the Leeds – Morecambe Community Rail Partnership are working to create a dementia friendly railway. A launch event will be held at Bentham station on Friday 25 May 2018.

Media are invited to attend the launch event at Bentham station between 11:30 and 13:30, photography and filming permission will be granted.

There will also be a photo / filming opportunity at Leeds station from 10:00 as the attendees board the 10:18 departure from Leeds to Bentham.

Attendees will include:

Senior Northern management

Representatives from Department for Transport

Representatives from Rail North

Representatives from Dementia Forward, Enhance the UK, and Dementia Friends.

Northern in conjunction with the Leeds – Morecambe Community Rail Partnership (the Bentham Line) have joined forces with the Dementia Forward, Enhance the UK, and Dementia Friends to help build awareness and understanding of customers living with dementia, making them feel understood, respected and supported.

For those living with dementia, using the train may now be one of the few options available for them to travel, at times this can be a daunting experience for them as their illness progresses. Northern are committed to ensuring the experience of train travel is easy and accessible to all.

A number of initiatives have been developed to help Northern become a dementia friendly railway. These initiatives include dementia friendly walks which can be accessed via stations on the Bentham Line.

More about the dementia friendly walks:

Four scenic and interesting walks have been identified which are all accessible from train stations along the Bentham Line. These are:

• Morecambe Promenade

• Bentham Heritage Trail

• Birch Hills Trail in the Forest of Bowland Area of Natural Beauty

• Saltaire UNESCO World Heritage Site

People living with dementia will be invited to talk part in these walks; all are designed to help recall fond memories of previous visits and experiences from earlier times in life. Those living without dementia are also more than welcome to take part in these walks which are all located in scenic parts of the Northern network.

The walks will be launched during Dementia Action Week, a national event organised by the Alzheimer’s Society, which takes place 21 - 27 May 2018. A launch event hosted by the Leeds – Morecambe CRP will be held at Bentham station on Friday 25 May.

For more information, please contact Lyndsay McCartney, Marketing and Communications Coordinator (Northern): Lyndsay.McCartney@northernrailway.co.uk 07393 797609

ENDS