What got you involved with campaigning for the rights of people with dementia?I was diagnosed with dementia about five years ago. About six months after my diagnosis, a friend asked me to go with her to a Dementia Friends session in Wrexham. At the end of the session, the guy who was running it said “my name is Chris Roberts, and I have dementia”. He was only in his fifties. I was shocked. He was standing up there, delivering this session, and you wouldn’t think he had dementia.

I realised that I still didn’t really know anything about dementia, about how it would affect me or my family. I had a chat with Chris, who talked about his experiences, and encouraged me to become a Dementia Champion so I could run Dementia Friends sessions as well. I’d never done any sort of public speaking before. At first I was really nervous about getting involved, but Chris really inspired me. I got trained and started to deliver sessions myself.

Teresa campaigns for the rights of people living with dementia. Along with a friend, she has setup “A Friendly Face”, a peer support scheme for people in Flintshire who have been diagnosed with dementia.

“You’re still you. You’re still the same person you were before you got the diagnosis. You have to keep active, keep positive, and carry on.”

From doing this, I’ve got involved with various organisations, Alzheimer’s Society, DEEP (Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project), universities, all sorts. I talk about my experiences at events and meetings all around the UK, and try and make sure that the voices and opinions of people with dementia gets heard.

What gave you the idea to setup the Friendly Face scheme?In 2011, I was diagnosed with depression, which I thought was odd. For two years I was put on anti-depressants, but I started to notice that I was getting more and more anxious and starting to forget really simple things. I realised that things weren’t ok, and talked to my daughter, who admitted that she’d been getting a bit worried about me.

We went to see the GP, who was very good. He sent me to the memory clinic in Wrexham where they did blood tests and brain scans. When they called me in for the results and told me I had dementia I was in shock. During all that time, the idea that I might have dementia hadn’t entered my head. My daughter burst into tears, and I thought “that’s it then”. I assumed that was the end of leading any sort of a normal life, and that from now on I’d just be a burden to my family.

After the diagnosis, they gave me a load of leaflets and I went home. When you’re in shock, and you’ve just been diagnosed, you don’t want to read through a load of leaflets. It took me and my family a long time to come to terms with my dementia, and what it meant to our lives.

Meeting and talking to Chris at the Dementia Friends session in Wrexham really changed the way I felt about my diagnosis. Being able to speak to someone who had already gone through what I was going through made such a difference. I started to be more positive, and I realised that with a bit of support I could still lead an independent life.

I didn’t want other people to have to rely on chance to meet someone else with dementia to talk to about their diagnosis and what it might mean to them. Along with my friend Doreen, who also has dementia, we had fridge magnets designed with our contact details on, and spoke to the memory clinic to make sure that they were made available to anyone who received a diagnosis. When you’ve just been diagnosed, most people don’t want to speak to anyone. The idea of the fridge magnet was that you could stick it on your fridge and when you’re ready to talk you can contact one of us.

When people get in touch with us, we meet up for a chat. We can help signpost them to useful organisations, and share our experiences. We get involved with families and carers. I’ve learnt so much from meeting and talking to other people living with dementia. It’s not a ‘service’. It’s a friendly chat, and an opportunity to meet other people in a similar situation. It’s letting people know that there will be challenges, but with the right support you can get on with your life.

How has getting involved with dementia support affected your life?It probably sounds stupid, but in a lot of ways, my life is so much better than it was before I was diagnosed! I’ve met so many inspirational people, I’ve learnt so much and I’ve made some great friends.

I’m much more confident than I used to be. Before being diagnosed I was very shy. I never went anywhere. Now I’m involved with loads of different projects and initiatives and travel and speak all over the country. I’m so busy now, and have a busier social life than I ever had before. My family are having to get used to having to book me in advance!

There’s a quote I really love, “She believed she could, so she did”. It’s so true. If you’d had told me five years ago that I’d be doing some of the things I’m doing now, I’d have thought you were crazy. Sometimes you just have to have a go.

For more information on DEEP (Dementia Empowerment and Engagement Project) groups in Wales, visit www.dementiavoices.org.uk or phone 07720 538 851.For more information on Dementia Friendly Communities, visit www.alzheimers.org.uk.To find a Dementia Friends session near you, visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk.