Why we run dementia training – and why it matters
21st May 2026
Our Learning & Development Manager, Victoria, shares her experiences of developing our dementia training, and how our new Scottish Government-funded Connected Lives project will help bring it to more third sector organisations in Scotland.
Too often, staff and volunteers feel isolated, under-resourced, or unsure whether they’re ‘doing it right’. This course exists to change that.
We launched our Dementia and Befriending course in 2021 because befriending teams deserve practical, confident, and compassionate support when working alongside people living with dementia.
Too often, staff and volunteers feel isolated, under-resourced, or unsure whether they’re ‘doing it right’. This course exists to change that and has continued to evolve in recent years, reflecting developments in research and practice.
The impact on attendees has been consistently powerful. Participants tell us they leave with renewed confidence, hundreds of practical ideas, and ready-to-use resources that immediately improve how they train volunteers, manage services, and support people living with dementia. Many describe the course as the most useful training they’ve attended in years, highlighting how it turns knowledge into action rather than theory.
Some amazing new insights into Dementia, especially with regard to communication. There was also a lot of interaction and participation, and the resources are brilliant. So informative.
— Dementia and Befriending attendee
Several attendees have shared that the resources alone saved them significant time and enabled them to improve their services despite limited hours and staffing.
I have 10 hours per week for setting up this service and today’s training has easily saved me the equivalent time with the ready-to-go resources.
— Dementia and Befriending attendee
A core strength of the Dementia and Befriending course is its inclusive, interactive approach. Attendees value the safe space to ask questions, learn from lived experience, and connect with others working in similar roles. For many, this peer connection reduces professional isolation and creates lasting networks that extend well beyond the session itself.
For 2026-27, we have been funded by the Scottish Government’s Dementia Resilient Communities Fund to build on this experience so that we can offer free dementia and social connection training and e-learning for the third sector in Scotland, through the Connected Lives: Dementia-Aware Volunteering project.
The Connected Lives programme is designed to help volunteers, staff and carers feel confident supporting people living with dementia, strengthening social connections and enabling inclusive, meaningful relationships within communities.
This programme will build confidence, spark collaboration, and equip people to deliver befriending that is thoughtful, well-informed, and genuinely person-centred.
Find out more and sign up for project updates on the Connected Lives page.
Connected Lives is funded by the Scottish Government’s Dementia Resilient Communities Fund and supports the delivery of the national strategy Dementia in Scotland: Everyone’s Story.