Alzheimer Scotland has received over £8000 from Nationwide Building Society to help fund the UK’s first Virtual Dementia Resource Centre to support families living with dementia across Scotland.
This is part of a wider grants programme at Nationwide – any Nationwide employee can apply for a grant of up to £10,000 on behalf of a local charity. Twenty four charities across the UK have received a share of just over £200,000 in the recent round of grants, with Alzheimer Scotland being one of the successful charities.
Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s leading dementia charity. They support and enable people living with dementia to live well with the disease, keeping them connected to their community. They provide a network of specialist Dementia Advisors, NHS Dementia Nurses, Dementia Research Centres, a Freephone 24-hour Dementia Helpline and numerous local support services in communities across Scotland.
Alzheimer Scotland is building the UK’s first Virtual Dementia Resource Centre (VRC) to help keep people connected and to ensure that no one faces dementia alone.
This, innovative digital project will offer a warm and welcoming online space for people to meet, share experiences and access information, support and expertise. It will make the charity’s invaluable services permanently accessible, 24 hours a day, to people living with dementia, their carers and families across Scotland.
Specifically, Nationwide’s investment will fund the development of the financial advice zone within the VRC, which will be a hub of information to give advice, guidance and recommendations around practical money matters for those on a journey with dementia.
William Campbell, Nationwide Building Society Branch Manager in Oban, comments: “I work really closely with Alzheimer Scotland by arranging for all of the Nationwide Branches in Scotland to become Dementia Friendly through receiving virtual training sessions delivered by Alzheimer Scotland.
“When the opportunity to apply for a grant for the charity came up, I jumped at the chance. With many charities struggling for funding in these times, it was a proud day working for Nationwide hearing Alzheimer Scotland had been chosen to receive a grant for their project.”
Claire Du Preez from Alzheimer Scotland said: “We are enormously grateful to Nationwide for this generous donation. The impact of COVID-19 on our dementia community has been devastating and the people we support have never needed us more.
“Our new Virtual Resource Centre will help expand our reach, making our support accessible to all. The financial advice area, funded by Nationwide, will be a crucially important resource, guiding families through the practical implications of financial management post-diagnosis, and offering key advice and recommendations to better prepare for the future.
“On behalf of the charity, I would like to thank Nationwide for this welcome support. It will make such a big difference.”
Gillespie Macandrew announces new charity partnership with Alzheimer Scotland and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity
Leading Scottish law firm Gillespie Macandrew has begun a three year charity partnership with Alzheimer Scotland and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC). Alzheimer Scotland provides support for those living with dementia and the ECHC supports children and their families in a variety of healthcare settings.
The new partnerships are a key part of the Firm’s overall Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, which includes donating 1% of pre-tax profits each year to the nominated charities. The firm has an established and active CSR committee which includes representatives from all four of Gillespie Macandrew’s offices.
As well as financial support, staff are given a day off each year to take part in charitable activities and as a result of this commitment to the nominated charities, the Firm has donated a total of over £130,000 in the past five years.
Chief Executive Officer Robert Graham Campbell commented: “We have a long and proud history of supporting charitable causes, whether it is engagement though volunteering, providing funding and pro-bono legal advice or partnering to host training opportunities.
“We look forward to working with our two new charity partners to support the excellent and valuable work they do.”
Stakeholder Engagement Lead from Alzheimer Scotland, Caroline Miller said: “The incredible commitment from Gillespie Macandrew will help us provide a range of person-centred support for people living with dementia and their families, who have been devastated by the pandemic.
Money raised will also go towards our exciting project to build the UK’s first Virtual Dementia Resource Centre so we can offer support no matter where you are and what time of the day it is.”
ECHC’s Fundraiser Amy Ford added: “Gillespie Macandrew’s support over the next three years means that we can continue transforming the experiences of every child and young person in hospital and healthcare throughout the duration of the pandemic and beyond.
When the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People opens on Tuesday 23 March, ECHC will be there to support children, young people and families in many ways and we simply could not do this without the generosity and kindness of our charity partners like Gillespie Macandrew.”
Alzheimer Scotland and ECHC were nominated and voted for by staff and Gillespie Macandrew is pleased to be able to offer our support, particularly at a time of increased pressure on the services they provide.
The firm has offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth and advises on all areas of land and rural business, private client, commercial real estate, energy, tax and disputes.
Total includes more than £86,000 for two Scottish charities – Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) and Alzheimer Scotland – and £38,665.51 for the national charity partner Macmillan
Aegon will support Blood Bikes Scotland and Marie Curie Edinburgh as local charity partners and Prince’s Trust as national charity partner in 2021
The pandemic didn’t stall fundraising in 2020, as Aegon UK employees working with their Atos colleagues raised a total of £142,368.06 for nine employee selected charity partners UK wide.(Who donated the 6p? – Ed.)
The company charity committees and employees coordinated everything from raffles, quizzes and dress up days, to running challenges, virtual coffee mornings and pet competitions to raise funds throughout the year. Aegon UK then matched these funds pound for pound, bringing the grand charitable total to £142,368.06 for the nine charity partners.
25% of all funds raised went to the national charity, Macmillan and 75% of money raised in each location went to the local charity or charities. The local charities selected by the employees in Edinburgh were Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) and Alzheimer Scotland .
Due to the lockdown, cheque presentations took place virtually this year for most of the charities, with just a couple of the cheques being delivered in person by Aegon employees.
A breakdown of the funds raised for each of the nine charities can be found below.
Mike Holliday-Williams, CEO, Aegon UK commented:“The pandemic presented our charity committees and employees with a fresh fundraising challenge this year. The usual bake sales and dress down days were no longer possible when the offices closed. But Aegon employees rose to this challenge and came up with a steady stream of wonderful ideas to ensure our charities were well taken care of, lifting everyone’s spirits in the process.
“Pet competitions, ready steady cook at home challenges, the 555 running challenge quizzes, dress up days, virtual coffee mornings, raffles and so much more – I was in awe at the persistence and creativity from everyone involved.
“Employees have gone above and beyond in 2020 to support the company’s commitment to giving back to our local communities – from nominating the charities close to their hearts, through to the passion and dedication shown in raising these funds for fantastic causes. I’m extremely impressed with the dedication and efforts of those involved, especially during a global pandemic.
“I would also like to thank the charity committees across all the locations for their hard work in keeping up the momentum and delivering for our charity partners. Helping people is at the core of what Aegon does as a business, and the fundraising work we do as a company is a key part of that.”
Michelle Campbell, Fundraising Manager for Macmillan said:“This is an acutely challenging time for people living with cancer, the NHS and for cancer care. We are doing whatever it takes to make sure our vital support continues to be available.
“Funding is needed more than ever, so for Aegon to exceed their original target and donate £38,665.51 is more than we could have imagined. This type of donation pays for a Macmillan support worker for over a year, helping people living with cancer receive the help they need.
“We would like to thank Aegon for their continued support throughout the year and for the outstanding amount raised.”
Rami Okasha, CEO at CHAS said:“Staff at Aegon have done amazing work to help children with life-shortening conditions across Scotland. We at CHAS just can’t thank the team enough.
“The money raised will fund the cost of specialist hospice care for children with short lives, and emotional and practical support for their parents, brothers and sisters. No-one should face the death of their child alone and this partnership takes us one step closer to making that a reality.”
Caroline Miller, Stakeholder Engagement Lead at Alzheimer Scotland said:“It’s been an incredibly challenging year for people living with dementia and their carers. There is an estimated 90,000 people living with dementia in Scotland – approximately 60,000 of whom live in the community.
“Each of these people, to different degrees, rely on their daily routines, social interactions, community-based groups and activities, and formal health and social care services, as a way to maintain their wellbeing and live as independently as possible in their own communities.
“All these supports have been disrupted as a direct consequence of this pandemic and the public health restrictions. We’ve seen from the dramatic increase in calls to our helpline, the toll this has taken.
“The generosity of Aegon and their staff during our partnership has been humbling. Despite the restrictions in place, they have continued their fundraising at pace and also responded with a generous gift to our crisis appeal.
“The total of just over £43,000 raised is an incredible achievement in any year but we are so grateful that in this most difficult of years they have made such a contribution. This money will have a real impact on people living with dementia in Scotland as we continue to transform the ways in which we support people living with dementia, their families and carers as we move forward.”
The charities were chosen as the result of a company-wide vote on a shortlist of charities nominated by Aegon UK employees.
In 2021 Aegon UK employees and Atos colleagues will be supporting:
National charity – Prince’s Trust
Edinburgh local charities – Blood Bikes Scotland and Marie Curie Edinburgh
London local charity – London’s Air Ambulance
Manchester local charities – Forever Manchester and Dianne Oxberry Trust
Peterborough local charity – East Anglia Children’s Hospices (EACH)
Witham local charities – Kids Inspire and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance
Lytham local charity – Trinity Hospice & Brian’s House
Breakdown of funds raised for all Aegon UK charity partners in 2020.
It is Dementia Awareness Week. The staff and Volunteers at the North West Carers Centre have all completed the Dementia Friend Programme.
The Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends programme is the biggest ever initiative to change people’s perceptions of dementia. It aims to transform the way the nation thinks, acts and talks about the condition.
Whether you attend a face-to-face Information Session or watch the online video, Dementia Friends is about learning more about dementia and the small ways you can help. From telling friends about the Dementia Friends programme to visiting someone you know living with dementia, every action counts.
The Dementia Friends Inititiative has 6 reasons why we should all become a Dementia Friend. Today we will be thinking about Reason 1:
1. Learn about dementia and how it affects a person’s life What is it actually like to live with dementia? How does it affect someone’s life day-today? When you become a Dementia Friend, you’ll learn about the real-life impact of the condition and the small actions we can all take to help.
TL Dallas, one of the UK’s leading independent insurance broking and risk management companies, is celebrating 100 years in business. To mark this significant milestone, the business has pledged to provide 12 months of support to a number of charities close to the hearts of its staff, including Alzheimer Scotland.Continue reading TL Dallas marks a century in business with charity campaign
Presentation cheque for £11, 000 to Alzheimer Scotland by employees of Leonardo’s Airborne and Space Systems division in Edinburgh on Thursday June 2nd 2016
Members of Leonardo’s Edinburgh Charity Committee presented a cheque for £11,000 to Alzheimer Scotland’s Abby Parkhouse at Crewe Toll yesterday. The cheque represents the culmination of Leonardo employees’ magnificent fundraising efforts over the past year.
Accepting the cheque, Abby thanked Leonardo employees and said: “It’s incredible that the Leonardo employees have managed to raise so much money in such a short space of time. It will make an amazing difference to our day care bungalow based in Midlothian.”
The Bungalow, Alzheimer Scotland’s day care centre in Bonnyrigg, offers friendship, support and stimulation to help maintain and restore the sense of self-esteem, confidence and dignity of people with dementia. It gives people with dementia the opportunity to socialise, and a chance to take part in a programme of activities to suit individual service users, which includes physical exercise, craftwork, quizzes, mental stimulation and reminiscence in a friendly, supported and safe environment.
Edinburgh College’s Access to Nursing students have raised a grand total of £1,512.56 for Alzheimer Scotland to support people in Midlothian living with dementia.
The students have undertaken a challenge set by the charity to see who could raise the most cash, in tandem with the opening of their new Bungalow day centre in Bonnyrigg (pictured below). Up against students from local universities, ten students (and one student’s daughter) and two lecturers raised £1,300 in one day by running in the recent paint-splattered Colour Me Rad 5k race.
They added to the sum by collecting cash across the college’s campuses. If the students’ total is more than their university rivals, Alzheimer Scotland will give them a chance to learn more about the charity’s work at The Bungalow. The students have already completed a module on dementia as part of their course so understand the importance of the charity’s work.
The team’s leader, student Petra Muir, said: “It felt great to actively try to make a positive contribution to Alzheimer Scotland. The money we have raised will go towards helping people with dementia and their families, and we are hopeful that we have raised awareness of the charity and the help and support they can provide.”
Abby Parkhouse, Alzheimer Scotland’s Community Fundraiser said: “It’s a fantastic amount of money raised in such a short space of time and will make a huge different to our Bungalow fundraising campaign. It’s going to be a very close competition.”
