Please donate now and help us provide support groups to people with rare forms of dementia FTD, fFTD, PCA, PPA, FAD, YOAD and LBD and their families, friends and healthcare professionals.

Nikki Zimmermann and Suzie Barker are running the London Landmarks Half Marathon to raise funds to expand RDS' regional support groups. They will be joined by RDS member Matt Pennington who has previously taken on challenges raising money for RDS. Seb Crutch will be running the half-marathon distance in Japan as he will be away on academic work at the time of the London race.

Rare Dementia Support (RDS) is a UK-based service, funded by The National Brain Appeal that offers specialist social, emotional and practical support services for individuals living with, or affected by rare dementias. The service provides access to tailored information, and support, annual seminars and peer support group meetings for contact with others affected by similar conditions, as well as raising awareness about rare dementias.

Rare dementias affect up to 15% of people with a dementia diagnosis and can cause difficulties with vision, language, movement and behaviour. They are more likely to develop at a comparatively young age (before 65 years old) and present different challenges to more common forms of dementia, including managing transitions out of work, and even childcare.

Matt, Nikki, Seb and Suzie know all too well the challenges facing people with a rare dementia diagnosis. Matt’s partner was diagnosed with Young Onset Alzheimer’s disease last year, and Nikki, Seb and Suzie lead the RDS service which currently has more than 6,000 members across the UK. RDS works with members in a variety of ways in support, education and access to research. Support groups are held for people at every stage of a rare dementia diagnosis; they include diagnosis specific groups, carer-only and bereaved carer meetings as well as themed meetings with focussed topics.

By sponsoring the RDS running team you are helping to ensure that everyone affected by a rare dementia diagnosis across the UK has access to this support, education and research.