Our history

For over three decades Alzheimer's Society has given hope and support to people across England, Wales and Northern Ireland whose lives are affected by dementia.

1979 to 2000

The organisation we now know as Alzheimer's Society was formed back in 1979, when two people with extensive experience of caring for loved ones with dementia discussed the pressing need to raise awareness of dementia and to improve the quality of care, support and information for people with dementia and their carers.

This led to the creation of the 'Alzheimer's Disease Society'. A steering committee was formed, consisting of carers and medical professionals, and the first annual general meeting was held on 13 September 1980. This first AGM was attended by 98 members and supporters. The first Newsletter was published in January 1981. A development officer was employed at around this time, and the first branches were established in Oxford and Bromley in 1980 and 1981 respectively.

Through the eighties and nineties the Society continued to grow, with volunteer committees establishing branches across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. At the AGM in 1999 members of the Society agreed the change of name to 'Alzheimer's Society'.

2001 to today

By 2003 the Society was a £30 million organisation, with over 250 branches across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. However our processes and systems had not developed in line with our growth, which led the board of trustees to call for a full review of the Society's structure. This in turn led to the One Society programme, a series of changes to our infrastructure and working practices that were designed to enable us to provide more and better services to people with dementia. Implementation of these changes is now well underway.

At the AGM in September 2006 the Society launched our new strategic framework, providing the entire organisation with a shared set of goals, values and principles.

In 2008/9, Alzheimer's Society's total income topped £50 million for the first time. In order to capitalise on our rapid growth, as well as the National dementia strategies, the Society embarked on a comprehensive plan for development, entitled Fit for the Future.

Building on the One Society programme before it, the goal is simple - to provide more services for more people in more places while at the same time meeting our ever-increasing legal, financial and employment obligations.
Part of this programme entailed changing the way we manage and provide administration for our activities. This change took place in 2010 following consultation with our staff and volunteers.

The boundaries of what we previously called branches no longer serve to define areas of our service provision. The new structure provides us for the first time with a platform from which to develop services wherever people living with dementia and their carers need it.