Drop for dementia raises £14,500 for Alzheimer's Society

The 27 staff members received an impressive £7,264 in sponsorship from friends and family for the stunt on Friday (1st July). The remaining funds were provided by Santander through their matched donation scheme.  Alzheimer's Society is Santander's charity of the year in a partnership which aims to raise £450,000.

Peter Cahil-Shaw, Finance Director at the company who dressed up as Spiderman to complete his drop, said:

'I have never abseiled before, so I took on the task with a fair degree of trepidation. Colleagues at work suggested that I dress up, and this seemed like a great way to maximise fundraising. In the end I abseiled down as Spiderman, just after Superwoman made her way down!'

'My mother-in-law has dementia and is in her fourth care home in two years, having progressed quickly through the various phases of the debilitating condition. I've seen first-hand how all-consuming and emotionally tough dementia can become not only for the sufferer, but also for the immediate family. This provided the spur for me to undertake the Drop for Dementia and support those living with the condition.'

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of Alzheimer's Society, said:  

'I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who took part for their support of Alzheimer's Society. As a charity, we rely on the generosity of people like this to continue our vital work. Their fantastic efforts, along with fundraising by many of their colleagues at Santander, will help us champion the rights of people living with dementia and the millions of people who care for them.'