TO an average 14-year-old, the word 'dementia' would probably mean very little.

The reality of living with the condition is a world away for most teenagers with their own daily preoccupations. But today's schoolchildren are tomorrow's bar and restaurant staff, hairdressers, traffic wardens, neighbours and community leaders. And dementia is a growing problem, touching increasing numbers of lives.

Alzheimer's Society figures reveal that 850,000 people currently have dementia in the UK, set to rise to more than a million by 2025 and two million by 2051. This year 225,000 people will have developed dementia - one person every three minutes.

The most feared condition among people over 55, dementia is a main cause of disability later in life, ahead of cancer, cardio-vascular disease and stroke, yet as a country we spend much less on dementia than these conditions. Two thirds of the cost is paid by those who have it, and their families.

So it's time we became more aware of it, and how to be more supportive of people who have it. And that starts in the classroom.

Youngsters at Titus Salt School in Baildon have been learning about dementia - what it is, how it affects people and how we can make our communities more supportive - through the Alzheimer's Society's Dementia Friends programme.

The ethos is that everyone, in all fields of work, from high level office management to corner shops, should share responsibility for ensuring that people with dementia feel understood, valued and able to contribute to their community.

Over the past three weeks staff and volunteer champions from the Alzheimer's Society Bradford have been delivering dementia friendly sessions to Year 9 students at Titus Salt, raising awareness of dementia and encouraging youngsters to be supportive of people they encounter with the condition.

"This was our first bit secondary school session, we'd like to do more in other schools," said Cathy Henwood, Dementia Friendly Communities Co-ordinator. "Schools may not be the first places that come to mind when you think about dementia, but children are our future shopkeepers, doctors, friends and neighbours. Some of them will have relatives with dementia now - many will have relatives with dementia in the future. These awareness sessions are aimed at helping to prepare our young people.

"Some of them know of dementia through family connections; they may have a grandparent with it and, in rare cases, a parent with early onset dementia. Students have been learning what dementia is, that it's a progressive disease and not, as some think, infectious and how as a community we can all do our bit to make the society we live in more dementia friendly."

The students were asked to make a commitment to doing something positive to support people with dementia. "The idea is for them to be aware of anyone who might have dementia; if they see someone having difficulty in a shop, for example, they can help, or they'll know to spot the signs and help their gran if she gets confused," said Cathy. "Practical things like putting together a memory book, looking at old photographs, listening to music or doing craftwork can make people feel valued. Some Titus Salt students plan to incorporate being a dementia friend into their Duke of Edinburgh awards, with projects such as working in care homes."

Titus Salt deputy headteacher Richard Foster said: "Many of our students and staff already have firsthand knowledge of the impact of dementia on family members. Raising awareness even further is a key element of our Personal and Social Education programme and we eagerly accepted the offer of talks from experts. The sessions run with Year 9 students enabled them to gain a greater understanding of how dementia develops, how the symptoms manifest themselves and how they can support family members or family friends who live with the condition.

"Feedback showed clearly that it had opened their eyes to all the ways they could offer this support."

Dementia Friends sessions contribute towards non-statutory PSHE aspects of the national curriculum, in areas like active citizenship and respecting differences between people.

"Sessions can be adapted for all age groups - we've delivered them in primary schools - Holycroft, Cullingworth, Shirley Manor Primary and Peel Park - this year and we're doing social healthcare work with Year 10s in Queensbury," said Cathy. "We have teaching materials for schools to develop this learning, and become dementia friendly."

* For more about being a Dementia Friend visit DementiaFriendlyBradford@alzheimers.org.uk, dementiafriends.org.uk

* For more about dementia visit alzheimers.org.uk or call 0300 222 1122.