For those of you that know me, you will know that taking part and completing The Bupa Great Birmingham Run will be a huge acheivement for me.  Having only ever raced as far as 5k/3miles, completing a half marathon (13.1 miles) is going to be a big challenge!

I've been training really hard and am in full swing of a busy schedule of both running and cross-training all in aid of The Alzheimers Society.

Working as a Physiotherapist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, I come across many patients with Dementia and know first hand how important it is that these people and their families get the information, help and support they need.

On a more personal level, both of my grandmothers have been diagnosed with dementia.  Elaine, my Dad's mum is still living at home with support and regularly attends a specialist day centre 5 times a week. My Mum's mum, June, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimers, lives in a nursing home that specialises in caring for people with dementia.  Having seen the gradual decline of both my grandmothers over a long period of time and the devastating effect it has had on my family and others close to them, I want to do my bit to help raise funds for a charity that can help others in the same situation.

By helping me raise money for the Alzheimers Society, this is how we could help:
*£50 could enable four callers to Alzheimer’s Society’s Helpline to receive the information and support they need.

*£100 could support a person with dementia to receive two fortnightly
befriending visits with a volunteer, enabling them to continue with
their hobbies and interests.

*£200 could help run one session of Singing for the Brain®, an Alzheimer’s Society activity that is designed to be a fun, stimulating and social activity for people in the early to moderate stages of dementia.

*£500 could pay for two sessions of our Carers’ Programme for 12
carers. The Carers’ Programme offers practical tips and strategies
to help carers to cope with the impact of dementia and gives them information so that they can access local services and start
preparing for the future.

*£1,000 could pay for one person to visit a dementia café every week for a whole year providing information and support to people with
dementia in an informal setting

Thanks for taking the time to visit my page, please dig deep and donate for a very worthy cause

Fran xxx