Dean presents United front for Alzheimer’s Society in Bupa Great Manchester Run

Fresh from his role as Manchester United coach Bert Whalley, in the BBC2 Busby Babes drama, United, the Ashes to Ashes star has had to put in a bit of training himself to prepare for the 10k run.

Dean said,

'Regular exercise, as part of a healthy lifestyle, can reduce your risk of dementia by as much as 20%.  Signing up for the Bupa Great Manchester Run is a great way to keep up your motivation, but the best incentive is knowing that by taking part, you can improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers.  In the last two years of our partnership with Bupa, we've raised over £2 million to help fund the National Dementia Helpline and local support services.  By the end of this year, we hope to make that over £3 million.'

Over 2,400 people will be running with Dean for Alzheimer's Society including Marple born actress Kaye Wragg and her husband, Animal Hospital presenter, Jamie Darling, and Britain's Got Talent belly dancer, Sophie Mei.

Kaye, star of TV dramas such as The Lakes, No Angels and The Bill said,

'Jamie is the fit one in our family and he's done several Bupa Great Runs for Alzheimer's Society, so he encouraged me to sign up.  It's great to be in Manchester and taking part for such an important cause.   By 2021, there will be a million people living with dementia in the UK, so it is something that will touch all our lives at some time.'

Of the 750,000 people in the UK with dementia, there are over 4,000 in central Manchester alone.  Alzheimer's Society are aiming to raise over £175,000 from the Bupa Great Manchester Run.

Dr Graham Stokes, Bupa's director of dementia care, explains why Alzheimer's Society was a natural choice to be the nominated charity:

'We're very pleased to be supporting Alzheimer's Society and Alzheimer Scotland for a third year. As the UK's leading provider of dementia care, we're committed to helping people with the disease to live well. We understand how important it is to work with Alzheimer's Society to support people with dementia today and find a cure for tomorrow. Signing up to support the Alzheimer's charities in a Bupa Great Run means you can get fit, help reduce your risk of dementia and raise money for a very worthwhile cause.'

- Ends -

Notes to editors:

For enquiries 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

• One in three people over 65 will die with dementia
• Alzheimer's Society research shows that 750,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia, more than half have Alzheimer's disease
• In less than 10 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 nearly 52,000 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.