Strictly Come Dancing favourite Russell Grant is launching a new charity ‘Dance for Your Life’ in Scotland later this month in conjunction with Brain Awareness week.
Edinburgh University will play host to ‘A Day in the Life of a Strictly Celebrity’ a workshop full of music, dance and learning. The aim of the workshop is to learn how exercise reduces the risk of dementia.
Working alongside Grant will be Professor Tara Spires-Jones who is Professor of Neurodegeneration and Deputy Director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. She is also programme lead of the UK Dementia Research Institute.
Russell has been a champion for research into Dementia and Alzheimer’s having returned home from the US in the 90’s to care for both his grandmothers when they developed the illness.
Their battle had a huge impact and after they died, he became an ambassador for three dementia societies.
He says: “It’s for people with dementia and Alzheimer’s and the people who care for family members or friends. It is great to take everything that I learnt from Strictly and share it to stay healthy.
“I saw what happened to my grandmothers and I regularly see it happening to others. The myth is that you have to be over 80 to get it but I have met a 19-year-old with dementia – so my aim is keep active and bring music and dance to the masses.”
The Scottish launch of the charity will take place at Edinburgh University on 22nd March 2019 at 11am.
Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.dfyl.co.uk
Event supported by the charities WISE foundation, Alzheimer’s Research UK, and Alzheimer’s Scotland. All ticket revenue will be donated to the charities to support dementia research.
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