Member Article

Derbyshire firm to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Society

Staff at Derbyshire leadership and development firm Awbery, are set to take part in a packed programme of fundraising activities in aid of its chosen charity of the year, Alzheimer’s Society.

Awbery, which has its head office in Repton, is aiming to raise £500 for the charity, via collections, office events and by taking part in the charity’s flagship fundraising event, the Memory Walk, this Autumn.

From its Derbyshire head office, Awbery works with private and public sector companies and multi-national organisations across the UK and Europe, delivering high-impact leadership and management development programmes, HR and coaching solutions.

There are currently 14,000 people living with dementia in Derbyshire, and 850,000 people across the UK, according to Alzheimer’s Society. These numbers are expected to rise, with the charity predicting 225,000 who will develop dementia in the UK this year - that’s one diagnosis every three minutes – and more than 1 million by 2025, and 2 million by 2051, will have dementia.

Awbery’s Marketing Coordinator Lucy Lewis explains that staff reached their unanimous decision to fundraise for Alzheimer’s Society this year, as the condition is one very close to many of their hearts:

“We decided that Awbery’s charity of the year in 2017 would be Alzheimer’s Society, as Alzheimer’s and Dementia are something that has sadly touched many of our lives.

“In my case, I have seen first-hand how this terrible disease can slowly change a person from the full character they once were, to one who is completely dependent on someone else. It is heart-breaking to see the effects that the disease can have, not only on the person that has the disease, but also on the loved ones around them.

“We hope that with the support of family and friends, we can reach, and possibly even pass, our fundraising target of £500, that will go towards supporting the amazing work of Alzheimer’s Society.”

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, although there are many different types. It can be hard to initially diagnose, very often being passed off as forgetfulness or put down to old age, and gets worse over time, but the speed of change can vary from person to person.

“As well as severely affecting a person’s personality, memory and speech, Alzheimer’s also makes it increasingly difficult for them to carry out simple daily tasks, such as washing, getting dressed and even walking,” adds Lucy. “With numbers of people with dementia rising and costs spiralling, dementia remains a challenge to the UK that cannot be overlooked.”

A group from Awbery will be taking part in one of the East Midlands’ Memory Walks later in the year, and several members of its team are to sign-up up to become a ‘Dementia Friend’, the campaign run and managed by Alzheimer’s Society, which is an easy way to learn more about dementia.

“There are nearly two million Dementia Friends and the number continues to grow, and we are looking forward to joining this growing group,” adds Lucy.

“The whole team at Awbery is committed to doing as much as possible to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Society and support the amazing work they do,” she says. “Already, we have scheduled one activity each month to give our fundraising campaign momentum throughout the year and raise as much as possible. The target is set at £500 but it would be wonderful if we could go above and beyond this as we know that every penny counts.”

Danielle Hindle, Alzheimer’s Society Community Fundraiser in the East Midlands, says: “We are incredibly grateful that staff at Awbery are dedicating 2017 to a range of fundraising challenges for Alzheimer’s Society.”

Alzheimer’s Society’s Robbie Lane adds: “Dementia is the leading cause of death and until we find a cure, we must ramp up fundraising to ensure people have access to the right support and services, as well as funding research into better care and treatments.”

Dementia Awareness Week takes place from 15th to 21st May 2017.

For more information about the Alzheimer’s Society, visit: www.alzheimers.org.uk.

Awbery is one of the UKs leaders in the creation of leadership and management, HR and coaching solutions. It has its head office in Repton, Derbyshire and delivers high-impact leadership and management development programmes, HR and coaching solutions to multi-national organisations across the UK. For more information: www.awberymanagement.co.uk, Tel: 01283 703828, and follow @AwberyTweet .

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Awbery .