Tag: Alzheimer Research UK

Lucky Edinburgh Dad wins £3m holiday villa thanks to old armchair

  • Lucky dad originally from Scotland wins £3 million holiday villa in Mallorca
  • His new home is a 4-bedroom Balearic island retreat offering stunning mountain views and a swimming pool
  • Scot who moved to England 30 years ago also scooped £250,000 in cash
  • Winning entry cost £75
  • Winner entered the draw after a chance encounter collecting an armchair 
  • Campaign raised £3,100,000 for Omaze’s charity partner Alzheimer’s Research UK 

A lucky dad has won the keys to a spectacular Spanish villa worth over £3 million – as well as £250,000 in cash – all thanks to a second-hand armchair. 

Graham Dunlop (52) has won the latest Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw – and is now the proud owner of a magnificent four-bedroom villa in Mallorca complete with swimming pool and stunning mountain views.

Graham entered the draw to support Alzheimer’s Research UK, after a chance encounter with a woman he was buying an old armchair from. When Graham arrived to collect the chair, the woman insisted that she wanted to give it to him for free, asking only that Graham make a small donation to Alzheimer’s Research UK in place of payment – as her late husband had dementia. 

Graham duly donated directly to the charity, but he decided to enter the Omaze prize draw as well after spotting it was supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK. The Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw, raised an incredible £3,100,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

The property comes mortgage-free and with all legal fees covered. Graham has also been given a whopping £250,000 in cash – and can decide to either enjoy the holiday home with his family or sell it to become a cash multi-millionaire.

Graham, who bought his £3,000,000-winning entry for £75, has been married to his wife Amanda for 15 years and they have two children, an 18-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son. 

Graham, originally from Edinburgh having moved to England 30 years ago, has been working in IT for the past 25 years and Amanda is a part-time primary school teacher. The couple have lived in their current 4-bedroom house near Southampton since 2014. 

They have two dogs Maisy (12-year-old Labradoodle) and Hudson (3-year-old Colliepoo). Graham said they will have to rename Maisy “Omaisy” after scooping the Omaze Grand Prize.

When Omaze first contacted Graham to tell him he’d won a prize, he had forgotten he’d entered and revealed he didn’t expect to win such a big prize as he “never wins anything”.

He celebrated his huge win “the best way a British man can” by “popping the kettle on having a cup of tea”.

A spellbound Graham said: “The reason I entered the draw is quite random really, I’d been after an armchair for my home office for a while and one popped up on Gumtree. I went to pick it up but when we arrived the woman refused to take any money for it.

“Instead, she asked that we put something towards an Alzheimer’s charity, as her late husband had dementia. So I made a donation to Alzheimer’s Research UK, then saw that they’d also partnered with Omaze, so I bought an entry to the Superdraw on top – I didn’t give it a second thought and had totally forgotten I’d even entered. 

“My wife didn’t like the look of my lucky chair at first, but of course she absolutely loves it now! You could say my £3 million prize cost me an armchair and a leg! I’ll bring the chair out here for sure, although it might look a bit odd next to the pool.”

He continued: “This villa is simply stunning, I love the design of the place and the views are spectacular, I just can’t believe it’s all ours – even if I jumped in the pool I don’t think it would sink in!

“We love Spain but never dreamed we’d ever own a place here – especially one like this! I might have to work on my Spanish a bit – although I can order a cerveza with no problems!

“I’ve got a large extended family that we’ve not seen for a while – I’m really looking forward to getting us all together out here.”

He added: “I’ve never won anything before – but this is worth waiting 52 years for! I’m not sure what we’re going to do long term yet – we’ll definitely be enjoying a few family holidays here – whatever we decide, this win is fantastic for our family’s future.”

Graham’s new home is a tranquil oasis located within walking distance from the town Selva and village Caimari in the popular travel destination of Mallorca and is just a short flight away from a host of UK airports.

The bespoke design of the beautiful holiday retreat celebrates traditional Spanish features such as stone walls and terracotta rooftops – whilst also encompassing a contemporary feel indoors – with bright and spacious open plan living areas. 

There is a large swimming pool with chill-out areas and loungers for when Graham feels like taking a siesta or sunbathing after a swim. The entire property offers wonderful spectacular views of the Spanish countryside and Serra de Tramuntana mountains.  

Inside, there is a state-of-the-art kitchen complete with island dining, a light filled conservatory with floor to ceiling glass doors offering views of the manicured gardens, and a luxurious living room with ornate fireplace – which also provides direct access to the landscaped courtyard and barbecue area with its own stone oven.

The top floor of the property has a stylish main bedroom suite complete with ensuite bathroom and dressing room – plus two additional guest bedrooms. The lower floor also provides another ensuite bedroom with a roll top bath.

To the East of the property there is a sizeable terrace with thatched roof pergola overlooking the mountains. It’s furnished with a sumptuous sofa with coffee table and is the ideal space for Graham and his family to enjoy the sunrise or a sundowner at the end of a long day’s relaxing.  

The property also has extensive gardens featuring Fruit Trees and other flora found in the region. The gardens have been beautifully landscaped to create a variety of terraces and private areas perfect for Graham to relax with friends and dine alfresco anytime of the day. 

As well as making Graham a multi-millionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw, Mallorca, also raised £3,100,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK – the UK’s leading dementia research charity – in just six weeks.

Dementia is the UK’s leading cause of death, claiming more than 74,000 lives in 2022. Sadly, if nothing changes, one in two people will be directly affected by the condition – either by caring for someone with it, developing it themselves, or both. 

Although the first generation of Alzheimer’s treatments proven to slow the disease are on the horizon, there are none yet available in the UK. 

Alzheimer’s Research UK is working to change this, and to develop more and better therapies that will be necessary to really shift the dial against the disease. Compared to other serious conditions, however, relatively few clinical trials are taking place in the UK. This means people with dementia in the UK are at risk of missing out on the chance to take part in life-changing research.

The £3,100,000 raised by the latest partnership with Omaze will support the charity’s Clinical Accelerator Programme, boosting clinical research for dementia across the UK and speeding up progress towards a cure.   

Hilary Evans, Chief Executive at Alzheimer’s Research UK said: “We’re delighted that Omaze, and all those who entered the Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw in Mallorca, have raised a phenomenal £3,100,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

“Nearly a million people in the UK have dementia, and we urgently need to find more and better treatments so that we can take away the fear, harm and heartbreak that this devastating condition causes.

“The vital funds raised will support our Clinical Accelerator Programme, which will boost clinical research taking place in the NHS and ultimately speed up progress towards a cure. This is an exciting step forward in our efforts to transform the lives of people affected by dementia.

“Thank you Omaze, and everyone who entered, for standing with us for a cure.”

This is the second time the charity has teamed up with Omaze. The first partnership, in 2022, raised £1 million that helped Alzheimer’s Research UK to protect and continue progress in dementia research during the pandemic. This latest donation brings the total raised for the charity by Omaze to £4.1 million.

James Oakes, Chief International Officer at Omaze, said: “Everyone at Omaze is delighted that Graham and his family have won this magical villa in Mallorca, whilst also contributing to the incredible £3,100,000 raised for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

“Omaze gives people the chance to win amazing houses, like this spectacular property in Spain, whilst also introducing charities to vast new audiences that would otherwise be out of reach – it’s a real win-win for both charities and entrants.

“We’re incredibly proud that the Omaze community has raised more than £31 million for good causes across the UK.”

Draw entries for the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cotswolds are available now at omaze.co.uk. The draw closes on Sunday 25th February for online entries and Tuesday 27th February 2024 for postal entries.

Entrants can also choose to subscribe to Omaze to be automatically entered into every Grand Prize and Early Bird Prize, each month. Omaze subscribers receive double the amount of entries compared to non-subscribers and can cancel their subscription at any time.

When Omaze has two draws running simultaneously, subscribers are entered into both, with a £10 subscription providing 30 entries into both house draws – meaning 60 entries in total for just £10.

For full terms and conditions, see www.omaze.co.uk. No purchase necessary to enter. Over 18s and UK residents only. 

Prime Minister launches ‘Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission’

  • Prime Minister launches national mission to tackle dementia, and doubles research funding to £160 million a year by 2024
  • New taskforce to speed up dementia research, using the successful approach of the Covid Vaccine Taskforce 
  • Prime Minister calls for volunteers to come forward and join ‘Babs’ Army’ by signing up for clinical trials

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has launched a new national mission to tackle dementia and doubled research funding in memory of the late Dame Barbara Windsor.

Dame Barbara’s husband, Scott Mitchell, met with the Prime Minister earlier this week at Downing Street. They discussed the significant suffering caused by dementia and the slow process of finding treatments and cures.

In response, the Prime Minister has launched the ‘Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission,’ in honour of Dame Barbara and the millions of other people and their loved ones who have had their lives ruined by dementia.

An additional £95 million in ringfenced funding will support the national mission, boosting the number of clinical trials and innovative research projects. This will help meet the manifesto commitment to double dementia research funding by 2024, reaching a total of £160 million a year.

The mission will be driven by a new taskforce, bringing together industry, the NHS, academia and families living with dementia. By speeding up the clinical trial process, more hypotheses and potential treatments can be tested for dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.

The taskforce will build on the success of the Covid Vaccine Taskforce led by Kate Bingham. 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Dame Barbara Windsor was a British hero. I had the pleasure of meeting her both on the set of Eastenders as Peggy Mitchell, and at Downing Street as we discussed the injustices faced by dementia sufferers.

“I am delighted that we can now honour Dame Barbara in such a fitting way, launching a new national dementia mission in her name.

“Working with her husband Scott, and on behalf of everyone who is living with dementia or has a loved one affected by this devastating condition, I am doubling research funding and calling for volunteers to join ‘Babs’ Army.’ We can work together to beat this disease, and honour an exceptional woman who campaigned tirelessly for change.”

One million people are predicted to be living with dementia by 2025, and 1.6 million by 2040. Up to 40% of dementia cases are potentially preventable but causes are still poorly understood. Dementia can affect the brain years before people show any symptoms, which means treatments need to be tested on people far earlier.

More clinical trials are needed but these are often overly time consuming, with resources wasted on trying to find volunteers.

The Prime Minister has today issued a call for volunteers with or without a family history of dementia to come forward and sign up for clinical trials for preventative therapies, nicknamed “Babs’ Army.’ 

Scott Mitchell, Dame Barbara’s husband, said: “The first in 15 Prime Ministers and over 70 years to grasp the nettle and reform social care, I’m so pleased that Boris had the conviction to do this reform.

“I’m so honoured that not only has he reformed social care, but he’s also committed this new money in Barbara’s name to make the necessary research breakthroughs to find a cure for dementia.

“Barbara would be so proud that she has had this legacy which will hopefully mean that families in the future won’t have to go through the same heart-breaking experience that she and I had to endure. I can’t stop thinking about her looking down with pride.”

Volunteers can register their interest through the Join Dementia Research website. The new taskforce, combined with the extra funding, will work to reduce the cost of trials while speeding up delivery. Existing NIHR infrastructure will be used, building on new ways of working pioneered during covid vaccination clinical trials.

A recruitment process will start this week for a taskforce lead, with the successful candidate focusing on galvanising action while ensuring the best use of tax-payer money.

The new national mission will build on recent advances in biological and data sciences, including genomics, AI and the latest brain imaging technology, to test new treatments from a growing range of possible options.

Researchers will look for signals of risk factors, which could help those who are at risk from developing dementia to understand how they might be able to slow or prevent the disease in the future.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, said: “Anyone who lives with dementia, or has a loved one affected, knows the devastating impact this condition can have on their daily lives, but for too long our understanding of its causes have not been fully understood.

“By harnessing the same spirit of innovation that delivered the vaccine rollout, this new Dementia mission, backed by £95 million of government funding, will help us find new ways to deliver earlier diagnosis, enhanced treatments and ensure a better quality of life for those living with this disease, both now and in the future.”

Hilary Evans, Chief Executive at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We’re delighted the Government has recommitted to doubling dementia research funding, and that our call for a Dementia Medicines Taskforce to speed up the development of new treatments has been heard.

“This marks an important step towards finding life-changing treatments for dementia and supporting our NHS to be able to deliver these new medicines to the people who need them when they become available.

“We are incredibly grateful to our tireless supporters who have helped keep dementia on the political agenda over the past three years. Over 50,000 people joined us in contacting their MPs, signing petitions, and even writing personal letters to the Prime Minster himself.

“The upcoming 10-year dementia plan is a chance for the next Prime Minster to make sure this funding is met with ambitious action and we look forward to working with the Government to turn it into a reality.”

Coastal walker Karen restarts epic journey

Long-distance walker Karen Penny to re-start her 20,000 mile coastal challenge

Research UK champion Karen Penny is set to re-start her amazing 20,000 mile coastal walk around the UK and Ireland on 10 August 2020.

Karen, 54, had been travelling continuously for 13 months on foot from her home in the Gower, South Wales before the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to return home in March. She had walked 6,405 miles and reached the UK’s northern-most point, in the Shetland Islands, where she placed an Alzheimer’s Research UK flag to mark the point at which she had to break off her incredible journey.

Inspired to support the UK’s leading dementia charity after both of her in-laws were affected by different forms of dementia, Karen has not rested on her laurels while under lockdown back home.

Karen says: “I have tried to use my time away from walking as productively as possible. As well as helping out with deliveries to vulnerable or shielding people in my community, I have put together a calendar with some of the beautiful images that I took on the 13 months of my journey so far, which I will shortly be putting on sale for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

“I’ve also been keeping myself fit by taking lots of walks around the beautiful Gower coastline, as well as enjoying spending some quality time with my husband and elderly cat Bilbo, who I thought I might never see again!

“Although it’s been nice to catch up with things at home, I’m nevertheless itching to get started again. On my walk I met so many wonderful people who were as keen as I am to support Alzheimer’s Research UK. Sadly, one in two people know someone who has been affected by dementia, so everywhere I went I met people with their own stories to share.”

Since setting off on 14 January 2019, Karen had already walked the entire coast of the island of Ireland and the whole of the Welsh coastal path, and more than 20 Scottish Islands.

She has raised almost £62,000 towards vital dementia research for Alzheimer’s Research UK, money that is even more crucial in these challenging times for all charities.

Ian Wilson, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We are delighted that Karen is now able to safely re-start her impressive journey.

“There are 850,000 people in the UK living with dementia. Sadly, people with dementia have also been some of the hardest hit by COVID-19, underlining the urgent need for life-changing treatments for dementia.

“Research has the power to make breakthroughs possible and Alzheimer’s Research UK is at the forefront of these efforts. We rely on public donations to fund our crucial research and it’s thanks to the commitment of people like Karen that we are able to increase the profile of dementia research and continue our important work.”

To sponsor Karen, go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thepennyrollson  

For further information about Alzheimer’s Research UK call 0300 111 5555 or visit www.alzheimersresearchuk.org

Here comes Karen!

Karen Penny, a 53-year-old mum from South Wales, is currently walking around the ENTIRE coast of the UK and Ireland. The journey will be about 20,000 miles, and will take her an estimated three years to complete!

Karen is raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK – the UK’s leading dementia research charity – after losing both of her in-laws to different forms of dementia. Her fundraising target is £100,000 and she is already nearly 40% of the way there.

Karen – who may be the first woman to do this journey non-stop (i.e. without going home or breaking her journey) – has been making incredible progress since she set off from South Wales in January.

In the first seven months of her challenge she has already walked the complete circumference of the island of Ireland, and the entire Welsh coastal path, recently passing the 3,000 mile milestone.

Karen – who has appeared on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio Two, BBC Wales and national radio shows in Ireland, as well as receiving national newspaper coverage in England and Ireland – is an enthusiastic and engaging person who has amazing tales to tell about her journey so far.

She has been bowled over by the kindness of people that she has met along the way – with offers of cups of tea, meals, company as she walks and places to stay overnight.

Despite having a tent in her rucksack that she carries with her as she walks, she has found that much of the time kind supporters have offered her accommodation instead – everything from a bird hide to a castle! She has been met and praised by the Mayors of Dublin and Liverpool.

She is currently in the north west of England, and is expected to reach Scotland next week – 18th August, all being well.

She thinks that the Scottish leg of her journey could take her up to a year to complete, as she plans to walk the circumference of “at least” 20 Scottish islands as well as the mainland coast while she is here!

Karen’s fundraising page is https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thepennyrollson and her Facebook page (where she has 2,800+ supporters cheering her on) ishttps://www.facebook.com/groups/1790360527648427/

Edinburgh researchers receive new funding to tackle Alzheimer’s

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have received a £160,000 funding boost from Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity.

The announcement comes during Dementia Awareness Week, a national initiative to raise the awareness of dementia and encourage people to join efforts to help those affected by the condition. Continue reading Edinburgh researchers receive new funding to tackle Alzheimer’s