On June 3rd, for both personal and philanthropic reasons, I will be trekking 26.2 miles around London in aid of the Alzheimers Society, to help fund research into the cause, cure, care and prevention of dementia.

Research suggests that well over half of the UK public, circa 34.5 million people, have family members or friends who have been diagnosed with a form of dementia. In the public arena, actors, politicians and sports personalities who have had dementia include Barbara Windsor, Sean Connery, Robin Williams, Tony Bennett, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Charlton Heston, James Stewart, Stella Stevens, Rita Hayworth, Perry Como, Gene Wilder, Bruce Willis…the list goes on.

It is estimated that 1 in 3 people born in the UK this year will develop dementia in their lifetime, with 1 in 11 people over 65 having dementia in the UK and 1 in 71 amongst the whole population. Over 42,000 people under 65 have young-onset dementia.

Globally, 5.2% of people over the age of 60 are living with dementia, the numbers projected to increase from 55m in 2020 to 79m in 2030 and 139m in 2050. Pre-Covid, Dementia was the 6th leading cause of death.

Dementia is not forgetfulness or ageing, it is caused by a disease that damages the brain, creating problems with memory, rational thought processes and the completion of everyday activities.
This unpredictable and cruel deterioration of cognitive function has physical, psychological, social and economic impacts, not only for people living with dementia, but also their families, carers and society at large.

‘Alzheimer’s Society’ are dedicated to defeating dementia through research.’

Should you wish to contribute financially to this plight, please do so via the ‘just giving’ platform:

https://lnkd.in/eySiSyrf

#fundraising#alzheimersdisease#dementia#dementiaawareness#research#cure

Please call the Dementia Support hotline for further information, support or advice on 0333 150 3456.

Kristina Holland is fundraising for Alzheimer's Society (justgiving.com)