I am taking on the Royal Parks Half Marathon in aid of Dementia UK, in memory of my Nana and Grandad Joyce and John, who suffered with varying stages of dementia during their final years. 

My initial target was £500, which would fund a nurse for 18 hours, or pay for two admiral nurses to take helpline calls all day on a Sunday. 

… every extra £27 would pay for an extra hour of care from a dementia nurse.

My new target of £1000 (!) would pay for a brand new dementia nurse for a whole week to offer life changing support to families affected by dementia. 

Thank you so much for your support!

1 in 2 of us are expected to be affected by dementia during our life times, either suffering with the condition ourself, or caring for a loved one. Learning to live with dementia is overwhelming for a family, from processing a diagnosis to making difficult decisions around changing needs as it progresses, all whilst watching a loved one slowly slip away.

Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurses provide care and support to families affected by dementia, helping sufferers stay independent for longer, and critically support the people caring for them so they have the strength to cope with the bad days, and the energy to enjoy the good days. They are specialists in dementia care and advise on everything from how to communicate with someone suffering, to managing their fear and distress, to how to get financial support for changing care needs. 

Admiral nurses have the time to listen and the specialist expertise to solve problems, helping families take back control when they are struggling. As a family we benefited from their advice particularly when my grandparents moved into residential and later nursing care. I felt the impact of this the most last year during my Nana’s final few days, which I spent alone with her whilst my parents were stuck abroad. With little understanding of the technicalities of death, the Admiral nurse went above and beyond to ensure I understood exactly what was happening with her care and provided me with immense emotional support. 

Taking up running has been instrumental to me looking after my own mental health in the last year, so I wanted to set myself the challenge of running my first half marathon, as the first event for me raising money in aid of a cause that is very close to my heart. 

Thank you for your support! 

For Joyce and John and all the families in the UK affected by this heartbreaking condition x