Ashwood’s Charity of the Year 2020 is announced

Alzheimer’s Society is announced as Ashwood’s Charity of the Year 2020 – working together to help people affected by dementia.

Dementia devastates lives. Someone in the U.K develops it every three minutes and there’s currently no cure. In 2019, 4,348 were living with dementia in Dudley alone.

That’s why we have partnered with Alzheimer’s Society, the only UK charity that campaigns for change, funds research to find a cure and supports people living with dementia today. They provide expert information, training, and support services to all those who need help. They also work tirelessly to create a dementia friendly society so people with the condition can live without fear and prejudice.

Research

© Alzheimer’s Society

Alzheimer’s Society works closely with different groups and organisations who are dedicated to dementia research, with an aim to understanding the causes of the condition, improving diagnosis and care, identifying ways to prevent dementia and searching for a cure.

In 2016, they joined forces with the Medical Research Council and Alzheimer’s Research UK to become a founding funder of the UK’s first dedicated Dementia Research Institute worth a combined investment of £250 million.

The Drug Discovery programme is an example of Alzheimer’s Society’s innovative approach to dementia treatment development. Drug Discovery focuses on ‘drug repurposing’, which takes drugs that are already being used to treat other conditions and tests their potential as a treatment for dementia. The result of which means new, better treatments could be available in half the time of a standard drug.

Dementia Friends

‘a climate of kindness and understanding’ © Alzheimer’s Society

Dementia Friends is the biggest ever Alzheimer’s Society initiative to transform how the nation thinks, acts and talks about dementia.  There is an urgent need to create a climate of kindness and understanding, so that everyone affected by dementia feels part of, not apart from, society. Dementia Friends is open to anyone who wants to help people with dementia in their community. A Dementia Friend learns about what it’s like to live with dementia and turns that knowledge into practical help or support.

Alzheimer’s Society’s new support service, Dementia Connect 

Dementia Connect will allow more people with dementia to access the support that’s right for them. The service is now in the process of being rolled out across the West Midlands and will develop links with GPs, memory clinics, mental health services, social services, pharmacists and opticians. This gives the best chance of reaching people with dementia who might not be engaging with support services.

Other Dementia Support

Alzheimer’s Society provides other vital support in so many ways. It has a National Dementia telephone helpline as well as a Dementia directory of local support services for people with dementia and their carers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Dementia Talking Point is an online community for sharing experiences with other people affected by dementia. The charity also helps to fund activity groups, befriending services, dementia cafés, community support workers and community support services. Singing for the Brain sessions are another initiative and use singing to bring people with dementia together in a friendly and stimulating activity.

Why did Ashwood choose this charity?

Nursery owner John Massey says:

Many of our customers know someone affected by dementia

‘Many of our nursery customers and visitors to my garden have either first-hand experience of dementia or know someone who has been affected by it. I’m aware that a lot of dementia sufferers and their carers find pleasure and much comfort from visiting gardens and garden centres. For this reason, I would particularly like Ashwood to join Dementia Friends and become dementia-friendly, as well as encouraging our visitors to be dementia aware. Dementia Connect is also a fantastic initiative as I think there’s a real need to make people aware of the support that is available for anyone with dementia.

I would like half of the money that we raised to go to research, which currently receives just one-sixth the funding of cancer. My hope is that, one day, they will find a cure for dementia.’

How will Ashwood Nurseries raise money?

John says:

‘Our main fundraising comes from John’s Garden Open Days and Hellebore Tours . We also are fortunate to receive a number of individual private donations from our generous customers and friends and we would like to say a big thank you to anyone who supports our charity in any way, no matter how small.’

More information?

See:  alzheimer’s.org.uk 

National Dementia Helpline: 0300 222 11 22

Alzheimer’s Society is a registered charity no. 296645. 

Last year’s Charity of the Year

Last year’s Charity of the Year was The Brain Tumour Charity. We were delighted to raise £41,482.15 for this worthwhile cause.

Interested in our fund-raising over the years?  Read more