My chosen charity is Alzheimers Research UK, Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leading dementia research charity.
They fund a broad range of research projects to understand dementia and drive us towards better diagnosis, preventions, treatments and hopefully a cure for this terrible disease. For those that don’t know, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting around six in every 10 people with dementia.
Alzheimer’s may also occur with other types of dementia, such as vascular dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies, you might hear this called ‘mixed dementia’. The word dementia is used to describe a group of symptoms – these include memory loss, confusion, mood changes and communication difficulties.
Dementia can affect how people feel, act and function as well as their health. Symptoms usually include the gradual loss of memory and communication skills, and a decline in the ability to think and reason clearly. People may be less able to carry out ordinary daily activities. Currently around 850,000 people in the UK are affected by dementia.
Alzheimer’s becomes more common with advancing age, but it is not a normal part of ageing. The majority of people who develop the disease are over the age of 65. More rarely, Alzheimer’s can affect younger people. It’s thought that over 42,000, or around 5% of people with Alzheimer’s are under 65. These rare cases of the disease are called early-onset Alzheimer’s.
In Alzheimer’s disease, changes occur in the brain that go beyond those associated with normal ageing. These changes include the build-up of two proteins, called amyloid and tau. Although researchers don’t yet have a complete understanding of what triggers Alzheimer’s, research suggests that both proteins are involved in driving the disease.
Last year 77p in every pound donated to Alzheimer’s Research UK went into research projects, the remaining 23p was invested to generate future income. There will be goods for sale and various fundraising ventures throughout the year, promotional material will also be available and I will ensure that all Provinces and Lodges receive information about the Charity.
I hope that I can count on your support for the Appeal and hope that you take the time to read the leaflets or view the website (https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org) to get a better understanding of the work the Charity undertake.