Call For Determined Volunteers To Join Fight Against Dementia
Passionate volunteers across Derby and the neighbouring communities are being invited to come forward to help form a new fundraising group to support Alzheimer’s Research UK.
The UK’s leading dementia research charity is looking for people with a range of skills to help set up the group, which will aim to raise vital funds and awareness across the region.
Members can get involved in a variety of ways, from getting stuck into fundraising challenges that raise money for pioneering research, to representing Alzheimer’s Research UK at events and spreading the word about the charity within their local communities.
Alzheimer’s Research UK regional groups play a crucial role in the fight against dementia, which currently affects around 13,100 people in Derbyshire, 2,484 of those live in Derby.
Junior doctor and Alzheimer’s Research UK supporter Hannah Omran was just four-years-old when her nanna, Teresa Edwards, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 52. Sadly Teresa died at 59 in 2000, when Hannah was just 11.
Hannah went on to raise vital funds for dementia research by taking part in a sponsored walk for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
She said:
“I decided I wanted to use my experience of dementia to make a difference because I’m aware of how heartbreaking dementia is. There is no cure, no prevention. We need research to stop this from happening to other families.”
Supporters like Hannah have already helped to fund 34 research projects at the University of Nottingham equating to more than £3.2million.
Research at the University of Nottingham has led to the development of an Alzheimer’s risk score which could lead to better ways to identify the early stages of the disease. This new score takes into account the subtle differences in a person’s genetic make-up and early research showed it is able to identify early-onset Alzheimer’s disease with promising accuracy. This interesting research finding could help improve how the disease is diagnosed in the future.
If you would like to fund groundbreaking research like this by helping to set up a fundraising group in your area or find out more about other fundraising opportunities within your community, Matt Clarke, Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Regional Fundraising Officer for East Midlands is on hand to help.
Matt said:
“Dementia has a huge impact on families in Derby and it’s important to us at Alzheimer’s Research UK that local communities have the opportunity to come together and get involved with supporting dementia research.
“Regional fundraising groups are vital in helping us to defeat dementia, both through raising funds and helping to spread awareness of this cruel condition.
“Alzheimer’s Research UK’s vision is a world free from the fear, harm and heartbreak of dementia and our supporters are key to helping us bring about the first life-changing dementia treatment by 2025.”
For more information about the setting up a group or volunteering for Alzheimer’s Research UK contact Matt on 07584 657 587 or email matt.clarke@alzheimersresearchuk.org
For further information about Alzheimer’s Research UK visit www.alzheimersresearchuk.org
