Celebrity picture special - hands off our memories

Celebrities including Lynda Bellingham, Richard Briers, Julian Fellowes, Britt Ekland and Jo Brand have been photographed with their priceless memory written on their hands for the Hands Off Dementia Drugs campaign. Each celebrity has given a moving account of why they have chosen this particular memory - what it means to them and why they would never, ever want to forget that special moment in their lives.

The celebrities have joined thousands of people across the country to express their outrage that drug treatments that help people with Alzheimer's disease could be withdrawn from the NHS because of cost. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) is due to make its final recommendation on these life-enhancing drugs to the Department of Health in December. These treatments help thousands of people with Alzheimer's disease and their carers to cope with the devastating impact of dementia - they cost just £2.50 a day. By pledging their most priceless memory in support of this campaign people can demonstrate that you cannot put a value on people's memories.

The stories linked to these images are very moving - unforgettable Christmases with family (Lynda Bellingham); the dream come true of winning an Oscar (Julian Fellowes); the comic episode of inadvertently crashing a car into a garden in front of an impromptu audience (Jo Brand); caring for a family member (Britt Ekland) and setting up in his first family home with a new baby (Richard Briers).

Neil Hunt, of the Action on Alzheimer's Drugs alliance, says,

'We are delighted that so many leading celebrities have pledged their support to this campaign. NICE has tried to put a value on people with dementia's quality of life. By asking people to share their most priceless memories we hope to demonstrate what these drug treatments mean to people with dementia and their carers, you can not put a value on the things that matter most to people with Alzheimer's disease.'

Over a hundred thousand 'hands' postcards have also been sent to the general public asking them to write their own priceless memory and post it to their MP. So far the most popular memories include, 'the names of my children'; the birth of my first grandchild' and 'my wedding day'. However, the Action on Alzheimer's drugs alliance has also received unusual and heartwarming memories including: 'my encounter with a wild boar'; 'climbing mount Olympus'; 'what time the Archers is on' and 'my four year old daughter telling her friend, you know my Grandma's lost her memory and won't find it again.'

For further information, contact the Alzheimer's Society press office.

Notes for editors

• The Alzheimer's Society is the UK's leading care and research charity for people with dementia and their carers
• NICE - the campaign continues. On 1 March 2005 the National Institute of Clinical Excellence issued draft guidance stating that drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease should be withdrawn from the NHS because of cost. The Alzheimer's Society is campaigning tirelessly to change this guidance to ensure drug treatments that work are available to those who need them. We expect the final decision in December 2005.
• Members of the Action on Alzheimer's Drugs Alliance are: Alzheimer's Society, Royal College of Psychiatrists, Royal College of Nursing, Age Concern England, National Pensioners Convention, Carers UK, Dementia Care Trust, British Geriatrics Society, Alzheimer's Research Trust, Research Institute for the Care of the Elderly, North West Dementia Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Counsel and Care, English Community Care Association, Institute for Ageing and Health (Newcastle), British Neuropsychiatry Association, For Dementia, London Centre for Dementia Care, Help the Aged, Nottingham Group for the Study of Neurodegenerative Disorders (University of Nottingham), National Care Forum, BRACE (Bristol Research into Alzheimer's and Care of the Elderly), Down's Syndrome Association, Centre for Ageing and Mental Health (Staffordshire University), Alzheimer's Disease Research Group (University of Manchester), Dementia Plus, Trent Dementia Services Development Centre, Dementia Services Development Centre Wales, Memory Assessment and Research Centre (University of Southampton) AND dementia Services Development Centre South East.
• Over 750,000 people in the UK have dementia. More than half have Alzheimer's disease.
• Dementia affects one in 20 people over the age of 65 and one in five over the age of 80.
• There are 18,500 people in the UK under the age of 65 with dementia.
• For information and advice on Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia call the Alzheimer's Society national helpline on 0845 300 0336.
• Our website address is: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/.