Julia Lopez presents prize to winner of Havering Dementia Action Alliance competition.

Yesterday, Julia Lopez MP presented a prize to Langtons Junior School student, Sienna, for her winning design in Havering Dementia Action Alliance’s (HDAA) competition to promote dementia awareness.

The HDAA has been promoting dementia awareness on Hornchurch high street as part of a community effort to help people living with the disease. Before lockdown, they had asked school children to submit their designs for a recognisable logo for dementia-friendly shops to indicate those stores that have undergone specialist training. Local Hornchurch organisations including the Queen’s Theatre, Pinney Talfourd, Fairkytes, Tapestry and Caremark have already signed up to promote dementia awareness and HDAA are keen to get more shops on board while also sharing the initiative in local schools.

Students at Langtons put forward a range of fantastic logos but Julia and her team picked Sienna’s design for its boldness, simplicity, friendliness and colour. She presented Sienna with gifts from the House of Commons and congratulated her for the beautiful purple flower she designed, which will now be printed by the HDAA as a shop sticker in September this year.

Julia said : ‘It has been a really tough year, particularly for people living with dementia and their carers. Getting back out and about and being able to appreciate our local shops and cultural centres again, is critical to physical and mental wellbeing so I praise HDAA for their tremendous work in making that an easier and friendlier experience for those who need extra help. Getting local kids involved in the community effort is really important, and I was so pleased to be able to thank the Langtons team in person and to present Sienna with her prize after the competition got stalled due to lockdown. I can’t wait to see her beautiful design shining out of Hornchurch shop windows.’