A SPECIAL showing of the film Still Alice will be aired on Sunday in Devizes to raise awareness of dementia and raise money for Alzheimer's Support.

All profits from the screening at The Place Cinema at 2pm will go to the charity as part of Dementia Awareness Week 2016. Area Board chairman Simon Jacobs, said: "Devizes Area Board are extremely grateful to the Palace Cinema for agreeing to host this very special screening of Still Alice and generously donating all profits to Alzheimer’s Support. Showing this powerful drama is a really appropriate way to launch Dementia Awareness Week 2016 in Devizes. We encourage the whole community to get involved in the awareness raising activities that are happening throughout the week.”

Janet Dore chairman of the trustees of Alzheimer's Support will thank people at the start of the film which tells the story of a linguistics professor and her family who find their bonds tested when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.

Tomorrow evening (Friday) at 7pm a Dementia Friends session will be held at Potterne Youth Club as part of the charities aim to get 1,000 new friends in Wiltshire during the awareness week. Year Six children at Southbroom St James Academy are also holding a Dementia Friends session on tomorrow.

So far Wiltshire police, firefighters, schools and town councils have all arranged to hold one-hour information sessions during the week and there are a number of public sessions that everyone is invited to join.

Dementia Friends was started by the Alzheimer’s Society 2013 as a way to help people understand more about what living with dementia can be like. The lively, interactive one-hour sessions have been a hit, and so far more than 1.5 million people in England and Wales have signed up.

Babs Harris, CEO of Alzheimer’s Support said: “Dementia Friends is a brilliant way for people from all walks of life to find out a little bit more about dementia and the small things they can do to support people they come across who are affected, whether at home or at work. It is not about creating experts and it is not about befriending, but about helping everyone to understand more.”

On Monday morning, Alzheimer’s Support is opening its Sidmouth Street office and day club to the public, with staff on hand to chat through any worries about memory or dementia, and a public Dementia Friends session at 11am.

On Wednesday, civilian police staff and staff from the town’s GP practices are each hosting their own Dementia Friends session, and Devizes firefighters will become Dementia Friends at a special evening session. On Friday, staff at the town leisure centre, who are already Dementia Friends, are staging a fundraising Row to Westminster event.

Throughout the week, Wiltshire Council is hosting information stands in libraries and council hubs across the county. Experts from the two charities will be on hand to talk through any memory worries and signpost for help and guidance.

For more information go to www.DementiaFriends.org.uk.