Dementia Friends Ambassador volunteer, Dave, is Enforcement, Compliance & Monitoring Manager at Stockport Council. He is passionate about delivering Dementia Friends Sessions to council staff, inspiring employers and colleagues to make services ‘more inclusive, compassionate and accessible.’ Here, Dave shares about his recent award win!
“Last month I was invited to the 2026 Ambitious Stockport Awards, these are for Council staff in various categories. There I found that I had been nominated for an award called Above and Beyond!
“The award had been created for me on the recommendation of the network chairs at the Council. The Council has a number of staff networks, and they cover, amongst others, Pallet of Colours, LGBTQ+, and Neuro divergent.
“It is fantastic that this has been recognised and whilst I received this award, it is on behalf of all Dementia Friends Ambassadors and our volunteer managers.”
Before revealing Dave as the winner, Councillor Mark Roberts, leader of the Council, said:
“In his work to make the council a more dementia friendly organisation, the winner of this award has truly gone above and beyond the expectations of his day-to-day role in our planning service. His commitment reflects genuine compassion and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by those living with dementia, their families and the colleagues who support them.
At a time when dementia is touching more lives than ever in Stockport…Through Dementia Friends Sessions, he has helped colleagues across Stockport Council better understand dementia, communicate more sensitively, and respond more thoughtfully to residents and families who may be navigating incredibly challenging circumstances. This has made services more inclusive, compassionate and accessible for some of the borough’s most vulnerable people. He has also created safe spaces for colleagues to ask questions, reflect and discuss about how dementia may impact on them, creating a more inclusive workplace too.
The Employee Network Chairs are very proud to award this person our ‘Above and Beyond’ award.”
Dave said: “Being nominated for this award was a wonderful surprise and also a little embarrassing, like all Dementia Friends Ambassadors we do not do what we do for recognition, but to ensure that we have a society that recognises the person behind the diagnosis and help to create a fairer society.”
Alison Wakefield, Dementia Friends Engagement Officer and Dave’s volunteer manager said: "You are amazing at what you do, Dave, and the recognition is just a nod to how fabulous you are and the difference you make to people's lives."
