Baby Spice takes up Bupa Great South challenge for Alzheimer’s Society
Published 5 October 2010
Determined twelve-year-old Madeleine Spice is running for Alzheimer’s Society in the Bupa Junior Great South Run on 23 October in Portsmouth, in honour of her granddad.
Madeleine, from Emsworth, plays the flute and piano and says her favourite singer is Cheryl Cole. Of taking part in the 2.5km run, she said,
'I'm running for Granfer and to raise funds to fight dementia. We used to run together up until about 5 years ago when Granfer was too poorly to run anymore and did his last Bupa Great South Run.'
Her grandmother, John's wife Janet says,
'I'm terribly proud of Madeleine for running in honour of her Granfer. This terrible disease impacts on the whole family. John loved his running and often we ran together and as a family. It's so sad that this has been taken from him.'
One in three of us over the age of 65 will die with dementia. There are currently over 2,200 people living with dementia in Portsmouth alone.
Leading the Alzheimer's Society team in the Bupa Great South Run are 'Outnumbered' actor and comedian Hugh Dennis, the star of 'Ballykissangel', 'The Silence' and the voice of M&S food, actress Dervla Kirwan, and ITV's Daybreak's Health Editor, Dr Hilary Jones
Dr Graham Stokes, Bupa's director of dementia care explains why Alzheimer's Society was a natural choice to be their nominated charity:
'Alzheimer's Society and Bupa are working together across a range of projects to support people with dementia and their carers and to find a cure for the future, whilst improving their quality of life and care. Both organisations share a commitment to fighting dementia and a belief in the health benefits of exercise. Signing up to support Alzheimer's Society in a Bupa Great Run means you can get fit, helping reduce your risk of dementia whilst raising money for a very worthwhile cause.'
-Ends-
Notes to editors:
For enquiries, a photograph or to arrange an interview or photo op please contact:
Alzheimer's Society Bupa
Jayne Phenton Joanne Hudson
T. 020 7423 3595/ 0774 704 6750 T. 020 7656 2273
E. jayne.phenton@alzheimers.org.uk E. joanne.hudson@bupa.com
Alzheimer's Society
- 0One in three people over 65 will die with dementia
- Alzheimer's Society research shows that 700,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia, more than half have Alzheimer's disease. In less than 20 years nearly a million people will be living with dementia. This will soar to 1.7 million people by 2051
- Alzheimer's Society champions the rights of people living with dementia and the millions of people who care for them
- Alzheimer's Society works in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Alzheimer's Society needs to raise money to help people live well with dementia today and for research to find a cure for tomorrow. You can donate now by calling 0845 306 0898 or visiting alzheimers.org.uk
- Alzheimer's Society provides a National Dementia Helpline, the number is 0845 300 0336 or visit alzheimers.org.uk
Bupa
- Bupa's purpose is to help people lead longer, healthier, happier lives.
- A leading international healthcare group, we offer personal and company health insurance, run care homes for older people and hospitals, and provide workplace health services, health assessments and chronic disease management services, including health coaching, and home healthcare.
- With no shareholders, we invest our profits to provide more and better healthcare.
- We are committed to making quality, patient-centred, affordable healthcare more accessible in the areas of wellness, chronic disease management and ageing.
- Employing over 50,000 people, Bupa has operations around the world, principally in the UK, Australia, Spain, New Zealand and the USA, as well as Hong Kong, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, India, China and across Latin America.
- For more information, visit www.bupa.com.
