The council funded 2,000 free tap-to-read wristbands and fobs for people with dementia. Two places hand them out on weekdays, plus five September sessions.

Two thousand free identification devices for people living with dementia are now available across Lichfield district, and you can collect one on any weekday without an appointment.

The Find My Loved One scheme launched on Tuesday at Grace Cares in Elmhurst. Lichfield District Council funded the 2,000 devices and is distributing them through Grace Cares, a local social enterprise, alongside the Alzheimer’s Society, Magnolia Friends and Dementia Support (Lichfield District Council, 2 September 2026).

What the device actually is

It is a wristband, a keyfob on a lanyard, or a hang tag, with a Near Field Communication chip inside. Anyone who finds a person who seems lost or confused can tap a smartphone against it and read what the wearer or their carer chose to put on it:

  • the person’s name or preferred name
  • a short message, such as “I have dementia” or “I may become confused”
  • an emergency contact number

The council is direct about what it is not. It does not track location, it needs no charging, and nothing is held in a central database. The information sits only on the device itself and is not shared automatically with any organisation (Lichfield District Council, Find my loved one scheme). The council’s own description is the plainest: it is “a bit like having a piece of paper in your pocket with your name and address on it, but it’s long lasting, durable and is recognised by emergency services and local organisations”.

The technology comes from safeguarding developer Lumiio. The wristband can be updated or replaced at any time.

Where to get one

You do not need to wait for an event. Two places hand them out on ordinary weekdays:

Where When Contact
Grace Cares, Unit 2 The Portal, Elmhurst Business Park, Elmhurst, Lichfield WS13 8EX Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm 01543 730189
Lichfield District Council reception, District Council House, Frog Lane, Lichfield WS13 6YU Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, not bank holidays 01543 308000

The scheme is open to anyone living with dementia, Alzheimer’s or a related condition, and to anyone who may be at risk of becoming confused or lost. It is free, and you or your carer choose what goes on the device.

The five September sessions

Five information sessions run across the district this month. All are free.

Find My Loved One information sessions in Lichfield district, September 2026 Sessions run on 9 September at Elford Village Hall from noon to 1pm, 17 September at Burntwood Memorial Hall from 11.30am to 12.30pm, 23 September at Tesco Extra Lichfield from 1pm to 2.30pm, 24 September at Burntwood Memorial Hall from 11.30am to 12.30pm, and 30 September at Holy Cross Church Lichfield from 1.30pm to 3pm. Where to find the scheme this month Source: Lichfield District Council events calendar, individual event records for 9 to 30 September 2026. Wed 9 Elford Village Hall, Church Road, B79 9DA 12pm to 1pm, with Dementia Support Thu 17 Burntwood Memorial Hall, Rugeley Road, WS7 9BE 11.30am to 12.30pm, with Magnolia Friends Wed 23 Tesco Extra, Church Street, Lichfield WS13 6DZ 1pm to 2.30pm, drop-in Thu 24 Burntwood Memorial Hall, Rugeley Road, WS7 9BE 11.30am to 12.30pm, with Magnolia Friends Wed 30 Holy Cross Church, Upper St John Street, WS14 9DX 1.30pm to 3pm, at Singing for the Brain Graphic by Lichfield Today
Four venues, five sessions. Burntwood Memorial Hall hosts two of them.

The council’s calendar carries a sixth entry on 24 September, its monthly advice and support drop-in. That is a separate session, at which several local organisations attend together, not a Find My Loved One event.

Two points on the list. Elford Village Hall has a Tamworth postal address but the village is in Lichfield district, about six miles north east of the city. And the council’s news release gives the second Burntwood session as “11.30pm to 12.30pm”; its own event record for that date says 11.30am to 12.30pm, which is the time to work to.

More sessions are due to be announced.

Who is paying for it

The council’s news release says “we have funded 2,000 Find My Loved One devices”. Its scheme page adds where the money came from: the devices are delivered through the Lichfield District Community Safety Partnership, “through funding provided by the Staffordshire Commissioner to support safer communities”. The Staffordshire Commissioner is the elected police, fire and crime commissioner for the county.

Councillor Richard Cox, cabinet member for community and public protection, said the aim was for “people living with dementia to be able to remain active and independent in their communities, while giving their families and carers some additional reassurance”.

Emma Smith of Grace Cares said the scheme was “a simple piece of technology, but it can provide an important extra layer of reassurance and, most importantly, help someone get safely back to the people who care for them”.

What it means for you

  • If you care for someone with dementia, you can walk into Grace Cares or the District Council House on any weekday and come out with a device. No form, no waiting list.
  • Nothing about it is tracked or stored centrally, so it does not answer the question of where someone is. It answers the question of who they are when somebody else has already found them.
  • If you would rather talk it through first, the September sessions run alongside existing dementia groups, so there are people there who use the scheme.

Local support groups meeting regularly include the Lichfield Memory and Dementia Cafe at the Methodist Church, 30 Tamworth Street, every Thursday from 10.30am to 12.30pm, and the Alzheimer’s Society support group at Wade Street Church, Frog Lane, on the last Thursday of the month from 10.30am, which asks you to book ahead.

Sources