Story
On 23rd January 2025, our family sadly had to say our final goodbyes to the legend that was my Nana Rita.
My Nan was one of the most generous, kind-hearted people you could ever come across and would do anything for the people she loved.
Living to the ripe old age of 93, my Nan had a diet that was largely based around one key staple—Rich Tea biscuits, a testament to the health benefits McVitie’s can provide.
In my Nan's later years, she lived with dementia. We first noticed the signs when she would ask if you’d like sugar in your tea four times in the space of five minutes, each time telling you afterwards that you were sweet enough without.
Dementia is a cruel disease, as you watch someone you love and know so well forget everything and everyone around them.
However, although they forget their surroundings and short-term memories, they can recite a story from 50 years ago in a heartbeat. They also never lose their true self & you still see glimmers of that personality in smaller doses as time passes.
It is remarkable, and although incredibly sad, over the years there have been plenty of laughs with my Nan’s great one-liners and impeccable comedic timing (although she had no clue) 😂.
That being said, I have decided to run the Belfast Marathon on May 4th, both in my Nan’s memory and to raise money for The Reader Organisation, which is based in the Mansion House in Calderstones Park.
The Reader does fantastic work within the dementia community through their shared reading group sessions. The benefits to individuals with dementia include the social aspects of being in a group and the stimulation of cognitive ability by bringing back memories, emotion, and sparking imagination.
The charity runs 55 groups across the North West, London and South West reaching people in settings including care homes, libraries and health services.
All donations will be used to help recruit, train and support volunteers, work in partnership with other services to expand the project’s reach, provide resources, and create more opportunities for helping people living with dementia and their families benefit from the joy of reading.
You can find out more about The Reader and the great work they do for people living with dementia in the links below:
https://www.thereader.org.uk/shared-reading-wwd/
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HgGyjtmxk60
Thank you for taking the time to read & any donations are massively appreciated ❤️