A tireless campaigner for a dementia charity has been awarded the British Empire Medal.
Trevor Jarvis, from Skellow, was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2001, but prides himself on living life to the full and championing the rights of other people who live with the condition.
Since his diagnosis he has had to contend with losing old friends, being avoided by neighbours, and consistently challenging people and organisations in order to maintain control over his life.
He said: “Getting a diagnosis of dementia has changed my life but it doesn’t mean I want to hide away from doing the sort of things I have always done.
“On the contrary, being able to live as independently as possible has become, if anything, more important over the past few years.
“That’s why I am so passionate about organisations supporting the dementia friendly communities programme as it is all about helping people with dementia to live well for as long as possible in their own community and breaking down the barriers they face that make it difficult to do this.”
As an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society, Trevor has spoken at conferences up and down the UK about his personal experience of living with dementia, and is a member of Prime Minister David Cameron’s Dementia Friendly Communities Champion Group. He has worked with national organisations, such as Lloyds Bank and Homebase, to encourage them to adapt their operations to support people with dementia and even attended the G8 summit to talk on an international stage about the condition.
Trevor has also been awarded an Honorary Degree from Bradford University for his passion and campaigning on behalf of people with dementia and for the improvement of public awareness.
Trevor was awarded with his medal by the Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, David Moody, at Doncaster Mansion House with a citation read by Mayor of Doncaster Councillor Eddie Dobbs.
Coun Dobbs said: “It is a privilege for me to offer my congratulations and gratitude to Trevor, who has overcome his own challenges to champion the welfare of Alzheimer’s sufferers.”
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I always say that we may have this illness, but we are all so different.
This is my own daily problems, but I would gladly share anyone elses, if they send them in,