Scotmid Co-operative is set to pass the baton to dementia charity Alzheimer Scotland as the two launched a new charity partnership at the Scotstoun Sports Campus in Glasgow today (1st September).
The year-long partnership is sprinting straight out of the blocks as the launch coincides with Alzheimer Scotland’s Memory Walk month, which will see thousands of people coming together throughout September to show their support for people living with dementia in Scotland.
Scotmid Co-operative and its brands Semichem, Lakes & Dales co-operative, Scotmid Co-operative Funeral Directors and Post Offices have set a fundraising target of £250,000 to be raised over the next 12 months, to support new Dementia Friendly communities.
With over 850,000 people now living with dementia in the UK and 20% of the public providing unpaid care to someone with the illness, the partnership will put communities and people at its heart and will see staff rally together to undertake an exciting calendar of fundraising activities. Staff and customers now have the chance to join forces to become Dementia Friends and improve the lives of thousands affected by the disease which currently has no known cure.
Anna Devine, Director of Fundraising, Communications and Marketing at Alzheimer Scotland, believes this new partnership will support the vital work already taking place to help transform lives. She explained: “Together with Scotmid Co-operative and its brands, I am confident we can achieve great things for dementia. We have an exciting calendar of activity planned at store level which will help engage nearly 5,000 staff and get people talking about dementia to raise essential funds. Every day we invest £15,000 of money raised to provide help, support and services across communities including our Dementia Helpline.”
Malcolm Brown, Head of Corporate Communications for Scotmid Co-operative said: “We are very excited about our new charity partnership with Alzheimer Scotland and our team is already full of ideas to ensure we reach our target of £250,000.
“Dementia is a cause that is very close to the hearts of many of our staff, customers and members and therefore apart from raising money, our partnership will see a raising of awareness about dementia, an issue that is gaining increasing attention in the media and which resonates with many.”
Henry Rankin from Clarkston, Glasgow, who attended the launch, has been living with dementia for four years. He said: “I am passionate about the work Alzheimer Scotland does to support families just like mine. The charity has been a real lifeline to me and my wife, especially on diagnosis, as I found the whole process very confusing.
“It’s fantastic that Alzheimer Scotland and Scotmid have joined forces to help make this process easier for others in future.”
For more information, visit http://www.alzscot.org/scotmid.
