Alzheimer's Society Campaigners' Network

Campaign Group Lead, Buckinghamshire

Why do I campaign for Alzheimer's Society?

I was for many years a local politician representing my village on the district council and got involved in quite a lot of campaigns. Prior to that I worked for an engineering company as a steel buyer. 

I am a carer for my husband who has Alzheimer's and Vascular Dementia and as the disease has progressed I have had to cut down on my outside activities to dedicate more and more time to caring for my husband. 

The realisation of how little help is available shocked us both profoundly, and from hearing stories from fellow carers with similar problems, I decided to get involved in the Alzheimer's Society Campaign and Media Group to use all the skills I had learnt on the district council to raise awareness and campaign to improve the lives of people with dementia, their families and carers.

The Campaign and Media Group uses the skills I already have and working as a volunteer for the Alzheimer Society allows me to have an outside activity that I care passionately about that fits in with caring for my husband.  The highlights for me are when I get a story in the local press and someone says they read it and as a result they have come to a local group activity.  Strangely I enjoy going to meetings and getting people to see things from the point of view of a carer or a person with dementia. For me it is all about raising the profile and getting more support for relatives, friends, and family to enable people to live well with dementia.