Vice-Presidents, Patrons and Ambassadors

Dame Judi Dench and neurologist Professor David Brooks are among prominent supporters who have joined our landmark programme championing the rights of people with dementia and their carers.

The Vice-Presidents, Patrons and Ambassadors programme was launched by Alzheimer's Society at the House of Lords on Thursday 15 March 2007, with more than 30 influential people from the worlds of business, politics, science and the arts.
Britain's first minister for the disabled the Rt Hon. Lord Morris of Manchester, a long-standing supporter of the charity and a Vice-President, hosted the launch.

Prof David J Brooks

Patron

Prof Brooks is senior neurologist at Imperial College, London and head of the Neurology Group at the Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre. He is a leading figure in the field of dementia research.

Dame Judi Dench

Patron

Dame Judi Dench's recent film roles include Notes on a Scandal. Her role as Iris Murdoch in the film Iris (2001) won critical acclaim for her moving portrayal of the writer's journey into dementia.

Britt Ekland

Patron

Actress Britt Ekland has spoken of her experiences caring for her mother who had dementia and died in 1994. Her film credits include Get Carter and the cult classic The Wicker Man.

Lord Moser

Patron

Lord Moser taught statistics at the LSE and worked as a senior statistician for three Prime Ministers. His current roles include Advisory Council of the London Symphony Orchestra.

Prof Steven Rose

Patron

Prof Rose is a neurobiologist and Professor and chair of the Department of Biology, Director of Brain and behaviour research Group at the Open University. He is a widely published author in his field.

Rt Hon David Blunkett MP

Vice President

David Blunkett is a Labour MP for the Sheffield Brightside constituency. He has been a long time supporter of the Society, particularly with the Sheffield branch.

Angela Browning MP

Vice President

Ms Browning is former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party and MP for Tiverton, Devon.

Prof Jim Edwardson

Vice President

Prof Edwardson was the founding Director of the Institute for Ageing and Health and is the founding chair of Years Ahead - the North East Regional Forum of Ageing and Health founded in January 2005.

Sir John Gordon Hannam

Vice President

Sir John Gordon Hannam is a former MP and one-time co-chair of the All Party Disablement Group.

Dr Anne Hunter

Vice President

Dr Anne Hunter (now retired) was a consultant neurologist based in Haslemere and was a founder member of Alzheimer's Society in 1979.

Morella Kayman

Vice President

A former opera singer, Morella helped set up the Alzheimer's Disease Society before it became the Alzheimer's Society and is an active fundraiser through her golfing organisation - Alzheimer's Disease Golf Society.

Dr Christine Kirk

Vice President

Dr Kirk is a former senior psychiatrist and has been a leading volunteer with the Alzheimer's Society since 1979.

Lord Morris of Manchester

Vice President

The Rt Honorable Lord Morris was the country's first minister for the disabled and is a long-term supporter of the Society.

Baroness Murphy

Vice President

Baroness Murphy is a former professor of old age psychiatry Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals United Medical Schools.

Anne Robinson

Vice President

Broadcaster and journalist, Anne Robinson has a long association with Alzheimer's Society since contacting the charity when her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Prof Martin Rossor

Vice President

Prof Rossor is director of the Dementia Research Centre at the Institute of Neurology and is consultant neurologist at St Mary's Hospital and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery where he is chairman of the Division of Neurology. He was recently appointed director of the Department of Health Clinical Research Networks for Dementias and Neurodegenerative Diseases (DeNDRoN).

Lady Saunders

Vice President

Former TV, radio presenter and writer Katie Boyle is best known for presiding over the Eurovision Song Contest in the sixties and seventies.

Malcolm Wicks MP

Vice President

Mr Wicks is Minister of State at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Prof Gordon Wilcock

Vice President

Prof Wilcock works in dementia care research at Oxford University. He has a long established relationship with the Society and is a member of its Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee.

Nori Graham

Vice President

Dr Graham is Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Emeritus Consultant in the Psychiatry of Old Age at the Royal Free Hospital and Mental Health Consultant to a nursing home in London. She is a former chairman of Alzheimer's Society and honorary Vice-President of Alzheimer's Disease International.

Peter Ashley

Ambassador

Peter Ashley has been a Trustee of Alzheimer's Society and is a member of the Alzheimer Europe working group on Advanced Directives and the NHS/SCIE National Institute for Clinical Excellence Dementia Guideline Development Group. Peter is retired from business where for the last ten years of his working life he was the Group Technical Director of a public computing PLC. Speaking of his own dementia diagnosis, Peter says he is "living with" not "dying from" dementia.

Lynda Bellingham

Ambassador

Actress Lynda is best known for her TV roles including At Home with the Braithwaites and All Creatures Great and Small. Her mother had Alzheimer's disease.

Nick Bence-Trower

Ambassador

Nick Bence-Trower works at Schroder Investment Management Limited and has supported Alzheimer's Society since 2002. He has raised over £50,000 for the Society's work by running, amongst other events, eight marathons.

Rosie Boycott

Ambassador

Feminist and academic who co-founded the women's mag' Spare Rib in 1971. Also co-founder of Virago Press, a publisher committed to women's writing. She was the editor of Esquire magazine, as well as of the Independent on Sunday, the Independent and the Daily Express. Rosie's father had dementia.

Jo Brand

Ambassador

Stand-up comedian Jo Brand is a former psychiatric nurse who worked with dementia patients for 10 years and has first-hand experience of caring for people with dementia.

Richard Briers

Ambassador

Actor Richard Briers is known for TV classics such as The Good Life and starred as a spouse who cared for his wife with Alzheimer's disease in DAD, a Comic Relief drama highlighting issues surrounding elder abuse.

Paul Brooks

Ambassador

Mr Brooks is a long term supporter of the charity and has established the Society's William Brooks Volunteer Awards in honour of his father.

Graham Browne

Ambassador

Graham is a member of the Living with Dementia vounteer group. His work for the Society has included speaking about his experiences of living with Pick's disease at the launch of the Dementia Out of the Shadows report, attending the KPMG Disability Steering Group and participating in the UK Dementia Congress in Bournemouth.

Tania Bryer

Ambassador

TV presenter, writer and charity campaigner, Tania has spoken about her father Lionel who had Alzheimer's disease.

Ken Clasper

Ambassador

Ken Clasper, 59, from Chester-Le-Street, County Durham is a younger person with dementia. When he was 56, Ken began to experience problems remembering his way to and from work and did not recognise his daughter when she called him in the office. Ken was diagnosed with the early stages of dementia with Lewy Bodies, a form of dementia closely allied to Alzheimer's, which often affects younger people.

Paul Dacre

Ambassador

Paul Dacre is the Editor in Chief for the Daily Mail and its parent Associated Newspapers. He is director of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc.

Roger Eastoe

Ambassador

Roger is founder of the marketing consultancy RE&A which he currently runs; working with a number of blue chip companies. Roger is also acting as Non-Exec Chairman and a Director of several companies.

AA Gill

Ambassador

Columnist and author AA Gill has spoken about his father, award-winning filmmaker Michael, who had dementia.

Russell Grant

Ambassador

Astrologer and television presenter, Russell Grant has spoken about his grandmother's diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease.

John Griffith-Jones

Ambassador

John is a Senior Partner and Chairman of KPMG. He is also a member of the MCC, Royal West Norfolk Golf Club, Whites and a Liveryman of the Skinners, where he sits on the charity committee.

John Hughes

Ambassador

John Hughes has more than 30 years of global business experience, which includes holding senior executive positions at Thales Group, Lucent Technologies and Hewlett-Packard. John currently serves as Chairman of three FTSE listed companies.

Prof Robin Jacoby

Ambassador

Prof Jacoby recently retired as Professor Emeritus of Old Age Psychiatry at the University of Oxford. He is chairman of the Global Initiative on Psychiatry in countries of the former Soviet bloc.

Ruth Langsford

Ambassador

As a television presenter, Ruth has presented programmes such as Loose Women, Langsford Late, Gardens of the Millennium and The Really Useful Show. Since 2000 she has been a guest presenter on ITV1's This Morning, and was made a regular presenter in 2006 and now presents every Friday with her partner Eamonn Holmes. Ruth's father has Alzheimer's disease.

Sally Lindsay

Ambassador

Actress Sally Lindsay, best known for her role as Shelley Unwin in ITV's Coronation Street, has actively campaigned for the Society in memory of her grandmother who had dementia.

Nicholas Mullings

Ambassador

Westminister-based jeweller Mr Mullings helped found and run the Society's Old Gold fundraising initiative which has raised £200,000.

Richard McCourt

Ambassador

Richard McCourt (Dick) is a television presenter and radio presenter best known as one half of BBC award-winning duo Dick and Dom. He is also the brother of television presenter James McCourt. As a DJ, Richard presents BBC Radio 1 shows and regularly hosts music gigs nationwide.

Barbara Pointon

Ambassador

Barbara Pointon and her husband Malcolm, allowed film-maker Paul Watson to film them after Malcom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The result was: Malcolm and Barbara - Love's Farewell. Mrs. Pointon was included in The Queen's Birthday Honours of June 2006 and was awarded the MBE for her campaigning work.

Fiona Phillips

Ambassador

Television presenter and Daily Mirror columnist, Fiona frequently speaks about her mother who had Alzheimer's disease to support other families caring for a relative with dementia.

Bill Reinking

Ambassador

American restauranteur, Mr Reinking hosts regular celebrity fundraising events for the Society.

Angela Rippon OBE

Ambassador

Broadcaster and journalist, Angela Rippon has supported Alzheimer's Society for a number of years and has spoken of her experiences caring for her mother Edna who was diagnosed with dementia in 2004. Angela was a BBC newsreader for five years and has worked in news and current affairs for over 40 years.

Heather Roberts

Ambassador

Living with Dementia (LWD) team member, Heather was an IT consultant then moved into teaching. She was forced to stop working two years ago. She's been participating in a dementia trial at University College Hospital looking at the early stages of dementia, tracking how the condition progresses.

Tony Robinson

Ambassador

Actor, presenter and writer Tony Robinson, best known for television's Blackadder and Time Team, filmed the final days of his mother's life in a powerfully moving documentary Me And My Mum. Both of his parents had dementia.

Robert Scott

Ambassador

Son of the modern artist William Scott, who died of dementia, the Scott family supports the Society's research programme through the William Scott estate.

Mike Tobin

Ambassador

Mike is CEO of the TelecityRedbus Group, the London Docklands-based European data centre network that provides the online lifeblood for over 2000 of the UK and Europe's largest brands.

Kevin Whately

Ambassador

Actor Kevin appeared in the Comic Relief drama, DAD, highlighting elder abuse. His many other credits include Auf Wiedersehen Pet, Peak Practice, Inspector Morse and most recently Lewis. Kevin's mother has Alzheimer's disease.

Bill Wilson

Ambassador

Living with Dementia (LWD) team member Bill is Coventry born and bred. He says he hasn't got Alzheimer's; it's got him. An ex Royal Marine, he also worked in the motor industry in Coventry when there was one and he spent many years coaching young people in athletics. Bill is in his late 50s and is active in the Coventry branch and nationally with LWD.

Prof Bob Woods

Ambassador

Prof Woods has been practising clinical psychology working with older people for over 30 years. He is co-Director of the Dementia Services Development Centre Wales and a member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Panels of Alzheimer's Europe and Alzheimer's Disease International.