Hi, I’m Lizzie and I’m really excited to tell you all about my new social enterprise This is Dementia. We’re going to raise awareness of dementia by selling cool printed t-shirts with all profit donated to Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurses charity.

For those who are not aware, Dementia is a degeneration of the brain that causes a progressive decline in people's ability to think, reason, communicate and remember. Dementia is considered ‘early-onset’ when it affects people under 65 years of age.

This is a project close to my heart as in 2018, my dad was diagnosed with early-onset dementia at the age of 58. The t-shirt idea was first born out the need to find a solution for two of my dads main symptoms - speech impairment and staring. When out and about, he may stop and stare at a stranger which has resulted in violent situations. If he were alone, he may not be safe and this inspired the first t-shirt we had printed. We wanted a quick and effective solution to explain why Dad may be staring at others. The first t-shirt printed read ‘Sorry For Staring, It’s Just My Dementia’. He wore the t-shirt during dog walks or to the pub and we noticed an immediate change in people’s reactions and behaviour towards us. Strangers offered help and if they were about to react negatively towards him, they would read the t-shirt and back off.

We considered how these t-shirts could be scaled up to not only increase awareness of dementia but also raise money for Dementia UK's Admiral Nurses charity, as they've been invaluable to my family. When things get challenging or difficult, Admiral Nurses work alongside people with dementia, and their families: giving them one-to-one support, expert guidance and practical solutions. Through buying a t-shirt you can help the great work that Admiral Nurses do and increase their presence around the UK.

By donating today you will help launch our campaign and create these life-changing cool t-shirts.