Matt's campaign for Alzheimers Society

What I am doing? 
So with a second lockdown now upon us, and with the whole county struggling I have decided to try to raise some money for Alzheimers society.  As I am relying on my friends and family to donate I am willing to run 5km everyday for the WHOLE length of this lockdown. As it is due to end on the 2nd of December I have at least 27 days of running. 

What it is for? 
The charity I am running for is, Alzheimer's Society. This is because it is a massively underfunded charity although it is for such a massive cause. Dementia shatters lives and leaves millions heartbroken. But every pound that we can raise together brings us closer to a cure for the disease. 

Why I have chosen this charity? 
I have chose this charity because It is close to my heart with grandparents all being effected. I have seen both the physical and mental changes and the effects that this disease causes. It effects everybody differently (explained further down). As it is a progressive condition, the symptoms develop gradually over many years and eventually become more and more severe. I believe with this second lockdown the elderly and vulnerable people with this condition will struggle even more than last time. Like we all remembered what happened  with the care homes last time?  A person close to my heart was told once “I would rather you all keep coming to see me, if something happens to me, I know I haven’t taken it on my own and i know I’m not gonna   be lonely”. Coronavirus is a dementia issue. Older, more vulnerable people are at a significantly increased risk from the virus. With everyone’s help, we can continue to be able to  adapt quickly to ensure that people affected by dementia have the support they need. 

What is Alzheimer’s? 
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting around six in every 10  people with dementia in the UK. Some people can have more than one type of dementia, for example, they might have Alzheimer’s as well as vascular dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies. This is often called ‘mixed dementia’. Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of ageing, but the chances of developing the disease do increase the older we get. The majority of people who develop the disease are over the age of 65.

Did you know? 
There are currently around 850,000 people with dementia in the UK. This is projected  to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.  70 per cent of people in care homes have dementia or severe memory problems. There are also over 42,000 people under 65 with dementia in the UK. 

If anyone has any further questions about the cause, why I am doing this or any other general questions about Alzheimer’s  then please do message me and I will try my very best to help you. Remember we can all make a difference. 

Thank you for taking you time to read my page... Hopefully you will be willing to donate to this amazing cause no matter how big or small. Really every single pound raised will help. I hope I am able to reach my goal of £500. None the less for the people that do donate, I will not let you down and I will keep to my end of the bargain. It’s gonna be tough but I understand with tough, uncertain times ahead and this pandemic and with people out of work I am truly great full for any donations that I receive. As I am aware money can be tight.