22 May 2025

Mayor’s backing for hospice project to keep people safe

A new device designed to help people living with dementia to return home safely has been successfully trialled, thanks to funding from the Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin.

Wakefield Hospice, which provides end-of-life care and day support, has introduced scannable fobs to help disorientated vulnerable people get back to a safe space.

The ReUnite fobs allow passers-by who come across lost or confused people to scan a code using a smartphone. This then displays the person’s name along with up to two emergency contact numbers.

The project – which coincides with Dementia Action Week 2025 - was made possible through the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund, which reinvests proceeds of crime by giving it to community groups working to make the region safer.

Following a visit to the hospice, Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:

“It was a pleasure to meet with the incredible staff at Wakefield Hospice and hear about how this innovation is helping keep people with dementia safe.

“It is always humbling to visit Wakefield Hospice and witness the kindness and compassion in which staff and volunteers care for people with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

“I am proud that we've been able to support this important work to better protect and support those living with dementia, as well as providing reassurance to their loved ones.”

More than 500 of the devices - which come in fob, wristband or badge form - were handed out to people and healthcare organisations, in partnership with the Wakefield Memory Action Group.

Debby Veigas, Wakefield Hospice End of Life Care Admiral Nurse said:

“After over two years of hard work we are delighted to have gotten the project off the ground and see the devices being worn across the Wakefield district.

“When a person living with dementia becomes lost or disorientated it can be a worrying situation not just for them but for their carer and loved ones too. ReUnite devices provide an opportunity to reunite these individuals with their loved ones, an easy yet effective tool which we hope will make a big difference to our local community.

“A big thank you to everyone who has been involved with the project, and a special mention to the West Yorkshire Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund for their initial funding of the project and helping to make this idea a reality – we look forward to seeing the benefits the project can bring to our local community and potentially even further afield in the months ahead.”

Wakefield Hospice was awarded £5967.36 as part of Grant Round 5 of the West Yorkshire Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund at Pudsey Grammar School on February 7th, 2024.

More information on the Mayor's Safer Communities Fund can be found on our website: West Yorkshire Combined Authority