Story
Alzheimer’s Society is transforming the landscape of dementia forever.
Until the day we find a cure, we will create a society where those affected by dementia are supported and accepted, able to live in their community without fear or prejudice.
Each year LX Hockey Club (England) select a 'Charity of the Year'. For 2023/24 our chosen charity is the Alzheimer’s Society. (Registered Charity No. 296645)
Playing Grand Master’s hockey at our age, that is 60 years and above, we know that we are more vulnerable to conditions that are more common in our ‘senior’ population. One of these is dementia, a word that describes a set of symptoms that over time can affect memory, problem-solving, language and behaviour. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia.
There are currently around 900,000 people in the UK living with dementia in all it guises, and it is found in both the young and the old. It mainly affects people over the age of 65 age, with 1 in 14 people aged over 65 having dementia, rising to 1 in 6 for people aged over 80.
Sadly, we probably all know someone who has suffered, or is suffering, from this progressively debilitating condition – either family, friends, or hockey colleagues.
In 2022 our dear friend and colleague, David Durrans, was diagnosed with vascular dementia, the second most common form of this condition after Alzheimer’s.
This is David’s story:
David’s first love, after that for his family, has always been hockey, as a member and past president of Huddersfield Dragons HC and playing for England in various international master’s competitions. Always a valued member of our LX band of brothers it was with great sadness that he hung up his hockey stick in 2022. He resigned his playing membership as he was finding both the physical and decision-making aspects of hockey demanding. He still loves hockey and, supported by his wife Diane and his close friends, he spectates at local and LX events whenever he can.
Please donate to this worthy cause so that we can help fund support for those suffering from dementia.
Thank you,
Paul Bateson
Honorary Secretary – LX Hockey Club (England) Ltd