Care Home Residents Battle The Elements For Charity Walk
A care home in Bognor Regis has raised almost £600 for a dementia charity with a ‘Memory Walk’.
More than 60 people, including staff and residents at Elizabeth House care home as well as members of the public, tackled the two-mile route around the town centre and onto the seafront before ending at Hotham Park.
The local ‘Bamboo Band’ played a variety of songs on the park’s bandstand for residents such as Lizzie Pollington, a keen gardener who used to visit the park regularly in her youth.
The Mayor of Bognor Regis, Pat Dillon, and Deputy Mayor, Phil Woodall, also made an appearance to thank the walkers for their efforts, alongside representatives from the Dementia Friends programme, which aims to change people’s perceptions of the disease.
Staff collected nearly £300 on the day and £285 was raised on the event’s Just Giving page.
The Alzheimer’s Society’s ‘Memory Walk’ is a nationwide event which helps fund research into dementia and care for sufferers. According to the charity, roughly 225,000 people develop dementia each year – about one every three minutes.
Marian Drake, manager at Elizabeth House care home, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who braved the torrential weather to get out and raise money for such a fantastic charity. This includes the staff, residents and family members, but also members of the public and the volunteer marshals who helped make the event go as smoothly as possible.
“We are looking forward to the possibility of working more closely with the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor in the coming months, so we can plan further ways of raising money for dementia.
“If you weren’t able to make the event but want to donate we would urge you to visit our Just Giving page, which has been a massive help in providing additional support for the Alzheimer’s Society.”
Elisa Vaughan, Alzheimer’s Society operations manager for Sussex, said: “Whether you walked in memory of a loved one, to celebrate someone you know affected by dementia or to create memories with your family and friends, people of all ages and abilities raised money to better support those living with dementia and find a cure.
“Every person, every pound, every step will bring us closer.”
Elizabeth House care home is run by Shaw healthcare and provides specialist nursing and residential care. Shaw healthcare provides care for individuals in nursing and residential homes, hospitals, supported living environments and domiciliary care schemes. Its services range from comprehensive care packages through to low level support in the community for older people and adults with physical, sensory or mental health support needs.
