'Do not be embarrassed by dementia,' Sir Jackie Stewart tells audience at event in Wendover

Pictured from left - Sian Chattle, chair of Wendover Dementia Action Alliance, Lady Helen, Sir Jackie Stewart and Sylvia Oram from Wendover Dementia Action Alliance

Formula One world champion Sir Jackie Stewart told guests at an event in Wendover last month 'not to be embarrassed by dementia.'

Sir Jackie was speaking at a dementia Christmas celebration held just before Christmas at St Mary’s Church.

The event was organised by Sian Chattle and Sylvia Oram of Wendover Dementia Action Alliance and the celebration was conducted by Rev Sally Moring and Rev Remco van den Heuvel.

Sir Jackie Stewart, patron of the charity, which was formed last year, was accompanied by his wife Lady Helen, who is living with the condition.

Following Sir Jackie's introduction, which he used to encourage people to speak openly and raise awareness of the condition, there was a celebratory event featuring memories, Christmas songs, carols, poems and the Christmas story.

Pupils from Wendover C of E Junior School and local packs of Brownies, Beavers and Cubs sung, accompanied by Will Sidebottom, from Chiltern Music Therapy, on the guitar.

Members of the Memory Pathway group, run by Lindengate, a Wendover based mental health charity, made a memory tree and encouraged everyone to write about a Christmas memory and place it on the tree.

Refreshments were generously supplied by Budgens and served by St Mary’s.

As the congregation left, Father Christmas gave everyone a star tree decoration made by Wendover Woods.