HONITON families will continue to benefit from the support of a Dementia UK admiral nurse following a recent £10,000 donation from East Devon Crematorium.

Entirely funded by the charity, Dementia Friendly Honiton, Fay Valentine has been the admiral nurse for six years has made a huge asset to the local community, helping people and their families impacted by dementia.

Fay is now moving on to lead the Dementia UK National Helpline. She will be greatly missed and all the families and volunteers of the charity extend their sincere thanks and best wishes to Fay.

Following a cheque presentation, Heather Penwarden BEM, chair of Dementia Friendly Honiton said “Wow! This is amazing! We are so grateful for the generous support from the team and customers of East Devon Crematorium. Added to our own fundraising pot, this will secure the post of Honiton’s Admiral Nurse for a further two years - giving so many carers and families much-needed reassurance for the immediate future.”

Admiral Nurses are specialist dementia nurses that provide one-to-one support, expert guidance, and practical solutions to help families and people with dementia through the most complex of circumstances.

This includes advice regarding family communication and relationships, the management of symptoms such as sleep disturbance, or the provision of knowledge and skills required to deal with problems such as incontinence or mobility.

Nick cares for his wife Penny and has first-hand experience of receiving the support of the Honiton Admiral Nurse.

He said: "When my wife was first diagnosed with dementia by the Mental Health team, the two nurses who came to give the diagnosis gave lots of advice to both of us. They recommended the Admiral Nurse and the first time Fay visited us, she and my wife gelled completely. From then on, she was a great comfort and help with many things including carer support, suitable diets and was always at the end of a phone to help and visit us at home when necessary. We are both grateful for her help, advice and care and she will be sorely missed. We look forward to meeting Fay’s replacement in the very near future".

In this respect, Heather is pleased to share the news that a new Admiral Nurse has now been appointed and Dementia Friendly Honiton is looking forward to welcoming Jo once she has completed working notice in her current post.

The £10,000 donation has been raised through the recycling of metals which remain after cremation, thanks to the consent and generosity of bereaved families. “We are very proud to support The Honiton Admiral Nurse – and are sincerely grateful to all those who support our charitable scheme,” said Craig Mounty, manager of East Devon Crematorium. “It is very heart-warming that families, even at a time of great sadness, think of others and are happy to make such a positive contribution to our local community.”