FOUR Coventry heroes who have dedicated their lives to helping people with dementia will be honoured by having the community rooms at a new hub in the city named after them.
Earlier this year the new Coventry Dementia Partnership Hub, set to open this summer, set out to identify people who have made a real difference in the lives of people dealing with the condition.
People were able to nominate local heroes before an external panel whittled down the proposed names to four successful candidates.
The hub is set to replace the Council-run Maymorn Centre in Holbrooks and will offer advice and support to those with dementia as well as allow them to meet and connect with new people.
Betty Hunter has spent her life ensuring dementia service users all received the correct care, dignity, and respect, working for Coventry City Council before later starting her own care agency.
Carol Jennings began conducting vital research for dementia after her father was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in 1982, with three of her siblings developing the illness soon after.
Alzheimer’s was not believed to be genetic in those days, with Carol spending years trying to persuade scientists to investigate the strong pattern of people in her family who had developed the disease.
This persistence led to experts discovering the familial Alzheimer’s gene.
Carol, who has recently become a vice president of the Alzheimer’s Society alongside her husband, also used the Coventry Dementia Partnership Hub back when it was the Maymorn Day Centre.
Dave Willetts formed a foundation to help those living with dementia, running ‘Singing for the Brain’ sessions in Coventry, Birmingham, and community homes.
He also released a series of CDs called Memories, with all the proceeds used to fund future projects to help those living with dementia.
And Bill Wilson, diagnosed with dementia in 2006, raised awareness of the condition and how it had affected him through his media work.
Bill was regularly on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire as well as on television, working with the Alzheimer’s Society on many occasions.
