Reflecting on the Cornwall Annual Dementia Conference 2025
- amycourtspooner
- May 27
- 2 min read
We were proud to be a sponsor at this year’s Cornwall Annual Dementia Conference - a day filled with connection, insight, and inspiration. With a brilliant turnout and a packed programme, it was a powerful reminder of the progress being made in dementia care across Cornwall and beyond.
There were 180 delegates, including people living with dementia, carers, friends & family, professionals from statutory services across health & social care, and many community and voluntary groups, all focused on improving the quality of lives for people living with dementia and their carers.
Professor David Sheard, Professor of Emotional Intelligence in Care, delivered a particularly moving session: ‘Living Well in Dementia Care Requires Emotional Intelligence – Research is Becoming Repetitive.’ He encouraged us to reflect on how much our own work is rooted in helping people find hope, truth and meaning, and challenged us to consider: how much of our core purpose is about exactly that? Dementia training, he said, shouldn't be about ‘them’ - it should be about ‘us’. By understanding our own vulnerabilities, we become better equipped to support others in living well. He called it the art of being human, a phrase that stayed with many of us throughout the day. His inspiring talk certainly rang true with all of the values we hold at The Filo Project.
The programme featured many other stand-out moments. Caroline Ellis led a brilliant session, showcasing the benefits of integrated Admiral Nurse support and the Care and Share events they run in Cornwall - a brilliant example of partnership working. Anna Lamprière hosted a panel on young-onset dementia and shared the development of a new support group in Cornwall. Bernie and Jenny from Promas offered an inspiring update on Carer training, while Rose Edwards presented the growing dementia-friendly work in Saltash. A performance from the Saltash Memory Box Singers was a truly uplifting highlight of the day.
The day was brought together by Paul Cadger, Dementia Education Lead for Kernow Health CIC, with support from the Cornwall Dementia Partnership, whose hard work and vision made the event possible.
There was so much more to the event than we can mention here – a testament to the passion and innovation within our dementia care community in Cornwall. Thank you to everyone who contributed to such a meaningful and memorable day.
