New £3.5m dementia ‘hub’ would serve Chichester, Bognor and Midhurst

AMBITIOUS plans for a new dementia ‘hub’ have been set in motion.
NewsNews
News

The centre would be located at Tangmere and is aimed at providing a ‘one-stop shop’ for people with the disease and their carers right across the Chichester, Bognor Regis, Selsey, Witterings, Midhurst and Petworth areas.

As well as being a meeting place where people with dementia could received advice and support, it aims to be a base for more than 40 local support groups to operate from.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A planning application has been submitted by new charity Chichester Dementia Support Group (CDSG).

It is seeking to transform offices at Salisbury House, in the City Fields Business Park in Tangmere, into a modern, fully equipped centre.

It’s thought the ‘hub’ would cost around £3.5m and could open in 2017.

“Once someone has a concern about or has received the diagnosis of dementia disease, they and their family will want to know where to turn for help and guidance to deal with this,” CDSG said in a statement as part of the planning application.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“They will want to have information and know what help is undoubtedly available, but ideally they would wish to have it all in one place and to be given help to navigate the complex world of health and social care provision.”

The charity believes the new hub would ‘fill the gap’ it says exists in supporting people with dementia at the mild to moderate stage.

The group says it is not seeking to replicate any of the ‘excellent existing services’, but rather ‘manage a hub from which all the local dementia services could operate’.

“At present there are around 42 statutory and voluntary dementia support providers in the area and it is difficult for anyone affected by dementia to find out what services are available and most appropriate to them,” the charity said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The centre would also offer a ‘planned and coordinated range of activity programmes’ for people with dementia, have quiet areas and space for groups to meet.

More than 13,000 people in West Sussex are said to be living with dementia and earlier this year both Bognor and Chichester joined the Dementia Alliance to officially become ‘dementia friendly’ places to live.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage

2) Like our Facebook page

3) Follow us on Twitter

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

Always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.