What is Dementia? - Dementia is a term that is used to describe a collection of symptoms including memory loss, problems with reasoning and communication skills, and a reduction in a person's abilities and skills in carrying out daily activities such as washing, dressing, cooking and caring for themselves.

There are currently 820,000 people with dementia in the UK, and numbers are set to rise to over 1 million by 2021. Alzheimer's disease is the most commonly diagnosed type of dementia affecting 417,000 people in the UK, though there are different types. It has no gender barriers and though it's most common in older people there are 15,000 people under 65 who have Dementia. Your support is invaluable to help Dementia UK improve the quality of life for all people affected.

Why am I involved? My own family has felt, and still feels the frightening and life-shattering effects of Dementia, so this cause is close to my heart. 

Where will your donation go? - Dementia UK provides Admiral Nurses - specialist dementia nurses who give expert, practical and emotional care and support for family carers, as well as the person with dementia.

Admiral Nurses provide families with an understanding of dementia and give them the tools and skills to deal with challenges effectively, whilst also providing psychological support to help family carers to carry on caring for their family member. They can also provide referrals to other appropriate services and liaison with other professionals to provide holistic support when it's most needed.

Dementia UK also runs a national helpline and email service Admiral Nursing DIRECT, which is for family and professional carers, people with dementia and those worried about their memory. Call 0845 257 9406 or email direct@dementiauk.org.

Your donation - Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.