Award recognising Value for Money and Training

We have won an international award for the most outstanding dementia care innovation in the world in 2013. The honour was bestowed at the Globals, an international awards ceremony organised by the influential Over 50s Housing group.

The glittering occasion at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London was attended by the best of social care organisations from around the world, from as far afield as New Zealand and Canada.

The judges praised Bodlondeb, our centre of excellence for dementia and mental health care, officially opened by First Minister Carwyn Jones in November 2010 who hailed it as a "pioneering model of care". It is based on small family feel units of 8 people living together.

They were particularly impressed with value for money - the way in which it is run within the constraints of public sector funding and how the arts were used to enrich residents' lives.

Mario said: "It's a wonderful accolade, and Pendine Park has been chosen particularly for the work that we're undertaking with our enrichment programme, in particular using the arts.They also wanted to recognise what we have done with our workforce and development programme which was one of the factors that helped us achieve Investors in People Gold.

"At Bodlondeb, we have an absolutely inspirational manager in Ann Chapman, and she is supported by a large team of fantastic people.

According to Mario, the values he learned from his grandparents still provide his "guiding light".

Bodlondeb was named after his grandparents' home in St Asaph Street, Rhyl, and was dedicated to his beloved grandmother, Mrs Rene Warburton, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease in later life.

"Although they are no longer with us, my grandparents who raised me would have been very proud," he added.