ITV Wales have won the prestigious Dementia Hero Award for Media Impact (Regional), for their powerful reporting on the plight of people living with or affected by dementia. Katie Fenton and Mike Griffiths were singled out for praise for their outstanding and compassionate work.
The winners were announced at a national awards ceremony in The Grand Hotel, Birmingham on Friday 28 April, which were hosted by Alzheimer’s Society supporter and Good Morning Britain newsreader, Marverine Cole, and sponsored by Tunstall Healthcare.
Eleven winners including ITV Wales from across England, Wales and Northern Ireland received awards in recognition their dedication to making a difference to people living with dementia. The ceremony attended by nearly 200 guests celebrated professionals, community groups and members of the public for their inspirational achievements in involving and caring for people with dementia, finding innovative solutions in research, and campaigning for the rights of people with dementia.
ITV Wales was one of three finalists in their category for the Dementia Hero Award for Media Impact (Regional) with the National Media Impact Award going to BBC journalist and presenter Jeremy Cook and BBC producer Claire Kendall who filmed Bill and Jo Wilson from Newcastle Upon Tyne and made headline news that reached a global audience.
The Media Impact Award is for when journalists and broadcasters let people living with dementia tell their own personal stories. This award honours journalists, broadcasters and those living with the condition, whose content has highlighted issues, raised awareness, challenged misconceptions and made a real impact.
ITV Wales was nominated for this award for a series of innovative reports. Katie Fenton initiated a report on culturally appropriate services for people living with dementia from the Somalian community in Cardiff, interviewing Samia Egeh (view here). The resulting report was insightful and shed light on the cultural barriers members of diverse communities face when trying to access dementia support.
Mike Griffiths filmed a report on the importance of an early diagnosis with Frances Issacs (view here) who is an artist living with dementia. The report was extremely powerful and showed the courage and determination people living with dementia frequently display, without glossing over the difficulties. For both reports the camera crews and teams that came out and filmed were sensitive and compassionate towards those living with and affected by dementia.
Mike Griffiths, who collected the Dementia Hero Award for Media Impact (Regional) for ITV Wales, said: “I’m astonished we have won. I’m very proud of the work we’ve done. But also, very humbled by it, because we’ve spoken to some amazing contributors.
“When you’re doing these kinds of jobs, day in and day out, something I feel incredibly strongly and passionately about is the importance of the regional and national media in Wales.
“There’s great trust between you and the audience, but you can’t tell these stories without people inviting us into their homes in the first place, making time for us, talking in the most candid ways about how their lives are. We take that very seriously and it’s a real privilege to be able to tell these stories and share them with a great many more people.”
Mike added: “Frances, the lady I spoke to in my piece, was going through a very difficult time with extraordinary strength, and extraordinary candour as well. It’s one of those pieces that I know I’ll be thinking about for many years to come.”
Other Dementia Hero Awards winners include the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust for Professional Excellence (Organisation) and Eamonn Dobbyn, Paul Harvey and Tim Little who were all diagnosed with dementia in their forties, for Outstanding Achievement.
Hosting the event was Good Morning Britain’s newsreader Marverine Cole who said:
“This is my first time hosting the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Hero awards and I am truly honoured to be in the room with such incredible people who are dedicating their lives to helping others dealing with the condition.
“My family and my husband’s side of the family have witnessed the effects of dementia during this decade, both on the person living with it and their carers. This means I deeply understand the adversity people are going through so these awards are set to be a magnificent celebration of selfless people from across the UK.”
Kate Lee CEO at Alzheimer’s Society said:
“I’m really proud of all our winners in this year’s Dementia Hero Awards. It’s been so inspiring to hear the stories of people, groups and organisations across the UK going the extra mile. Every single nominee deserves a platform in recognition of their hard work and commitment to helping and involving people living with dementia.
“One in three people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime. Alzheimer’s Society provides help and hope to people affected by dementia and we won’t rest until people living with dementia and their carers live more fulfilled and less fearful lives, free from stigma and inequality. We can’t do it alone, that’s why change makers like our Dementia Heroes are so vital.”
To view all Dementia Hero Awards 2023 winners, visit alzheimers.org.uk/dementiaheroawards
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