BURLEY Dementia Action Group has won a National Dementia Friendly Award. 
The group, which provides a range of services for people with dementia, won the Dementia Friendly Community of the Year category at the Dementia Friendly Awards ceremony in London yesterday,
Burley Dementia Action Group was one of three finalists in the category, sponsored by Boots UK. The award recognises villages, towns, and cities leading the way in taking action to ensure that people living with dementia are included in their community.
Formed in 2015, the Burley group has made considerable progress in aiming to reduce the stigma of dementia and increase understanding of the condition through awareness-raising activities such as Dementia Friends sessions and work with community organisations.  
Secretary Susan Collins said: “We are delighted, it's a lovely surprise. I think this will have a phenomenal impact as we are a small group and we do our quiet little thing increasing awareness of dementia, and we try and make people understand that you can live well with dementia. 
"We’ll keep going to make our village more dementia friendly. I think this will inspire people to be more energetic in their dementia friendly work.”
The ceremony was hosted by Angela Rippon, an Ambassador of the Alzheimer’s Society, which organised the awards, sponsored by British Gas. The awards unite communities and individuals across England and Wales to recognise, celebrate and promote the inspirational achievements of those making a difference to people living with dementia.
Paul Smithson, Services Manager for Alzheimer’s Society in Bradford said: “It is excellent news that Burley Dementia Action Group has won the Dementia Friendly Community award and it is a testament to their tremendous dementia friendly work in our area. The level of nominations received this year was truly phenomenal and there were some exceptional stories heard at the awards ceremony. All the finalists and winners at the Dementia Friendly Awards have demonstrated how we can unite against dementia and support those affected by the condition.”
This year there were 13 awards across 10 categories, with awards for Dementia Friendly Organisation, Community, Partnership, Dementia Friends Champion, Innovation, Young person’s contribution, Journalist and Inspiring Individual, as well as a new category celebrating individual and group fundraiser of the year. 
Telegraph & Argus Leisure and Lifestyle Editor Emma Clayton, who was the first ever winner of the Dementia Friendly Regional Journalism Award last year, presented the 2017 Regional and National Journalism awards at yesterday's ceremony.
* For more details, including a full list of winners, visit alzheimers.org.uk/dementiafriendlyawards.