Carey Mulligan marks Christmas to Remember at Downing Street

Carey, star of upcoming blockbuster The Great Gatsby, spoke about Christmases with her grandmother 'Nans' while the Prime Minister shared a story about rushing son Ivan from hospital down to Devon in time for a family Christmas. They were joined by Dominic Batty who lives with dementia and wife Jill to launch the campaign Christmas to Remember by hanging a Dementia Friends bauble on the Number 10 tree.

Carey is encouraging people returning home for Christmas to look out for signs that a loved one may be living with dementia. Awareness of the condition is particularly important during the festive season when people may be seeing relatives for the first time in months and notice changes in behaviour.

As part of the campaign, celebrities such as Lynda Bellingham and John Challis – Only Fools & Horses' Boycie – will share their favourite Christmas memories on a Tumblr blog (http://xmas-to-remember.tumblr.com). Both Carey's and the Prime Minister's memories can also be found in full on the blog.  People will be encouraged to share their favourite memories – whether good or bad, about a treasured present or Christmas dinner disaster – on Twitter using #xmas2remember.  The Tumblr will include Alzheimer's Society information on seeing relatives with dementia over Christmas, and ask people to register their interest in becoming a Dementia Friend.

Actress Carey Mulligan, whose grandmother "Nans" has dementia, said:

'My favourite Christmas memory is every Christmas we spent with my grandmother. She used to alternate between us and our cousins and every year we were lucky enough to have her was particularly precious.

'This Christmas we want people to tell us about their favourite Christmas memory - it can be funny, sad, silly or serious. Write a memory on a piece of paper, take a photo and tweet using #xmas2remember or comment at www.facebook.com/alzheimerssociety '

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

'Christmas is a time when families who may not see each other all year come together. If you are worried about your own or a loved one’s memory or think they might have dementia it’s important to know that there is help and support available. This year you can follow advice and information on the internet or call our National Dementia Helpline. You can also give yourself the gift of becoming more dementia aware by registering your interest in becoming a dementia friend.'

Prime Minister David Cameron said:

'Dementia is one of the biggest challenges facing our population today which is why I launched the Dementia Challenge and am supporting the Dementia Friends project. There are already nearly 700,000 people in England with dementia who need support, but hundreds of thousands of them aren’t diagnosed and aren't receiving the help they need.

'We may not want to think about dementia at Christmas time, but spotting the signs of dementia as soon as they start is the best way to help our friends and family keep the memories they make for as long as possible.

'That’s why I’m launching the Christmas to Remember campaign and encouraging everyone to share their Christmas memories. By working together to raise awareness of the signs we can tackle this dreadful disease and make Christmas a happier time for millions.'

Dementia is caused by brain diseases which cause the brain to slowly shut down; the most common is Alzheimer’s. Symptoms to spot dementia include struggling to remember recent events, forgetting the names of friends or everyday objects or not being able to recall information you’ve read.

Calls to Alzheimer’s Society National Dementia Helpline increase by a third immediately after Christmas, many of these calls are from worried relatives. The number to call is 0300 222 1122.

-Ends-

For further information please contact:

Ian Preston, Alzheimer’s Society, 020 7423 3595 / 07802 688 774

Notes to editors:

• One in three people over 65 will develop with dementia
• Alzheimer’s Society research shows that 800,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia, more than half have Alzheimer’s disease. In less than ten years a million people will be living with dementia. This will soar to 1.7 million people by 2051
• Dementia Friends was launched last month.  It aims to recruit 1 million people to become Dementia Friends by 2015 and use their know-how to help people with dementia feel understood and included in their community. For more information, visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk
• The Prime Minister launched his Dementia Challenge in March 2012, which aims to tackle one of the most important issues we face as the population ages. The Department of Health is leading on an ambitious programme of work designed to make a real difference to the lives of people with dementia and their families and carers. For more information see http://dementiachallenge.dh.gov.uk
• 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 has a plan to deal with dementia. Help us support people to live well today and fight for a world without dementia tomorrow. We rely on voluntary donations to continue our vital work. 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 0300 222 11 22 or visit alzheimers.org.uk