Following his dementia diagnosis at the age of just 60, Andy in Deeside is determined to continue enjoying life. A massive Leeds United fan, Andy was prompted to seek a diagnosis after forgetting his daughter’s birthday.
Having had his own perception of the condition challenged, Andy now wants to change how other people view dementia as well encourage them to join the Alzheimer’s Society’s ongoing mission to beat the UK’s biggest killer.

Watch Andy Paul on YouTube sharing his personal experience of dementia and the team around him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghMJCZIoQJY

A highly skilled carpenter, Adron worked in theatre and with the BBC building stage sets, before establishing his own business building kitchens.
A lifelong Bristol City fan, his passion for football extends back to playing league football for many years, and he was also amongst the crowd at Wembley in 1966 to witness the iconic moment England won the World Cup – this he says is his most memorable event.
Also a fan of Manchester United and particularly Bobby Charlton, Adron was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2022 and regularly participates in Time for Dementia, an educational programme which aims to transform the way healthcare students learn about dementia.

Peter is a lifelong Manchester City fan, who has always followed the team wherever they are playing – whether travelling to Premier League games with his wife, Michele, or as far as Palermo, Italy, just last summer.
Peter was diagnosed last year with Logopenic Variant Primary Progressive Aphasia with Alzheimer's, and says his diagnosis was a “life changer” for him and his family, but that he is coping well and keeping fit and busy certainly helps. He regularly attends City’s ReminisCITY, which is a free programme for individuals with a diagnosis of dementia and their carers or family members.
Peter thoroughly enjoys the sessions, spending time with others playing games, taking part in quizzes and even attending a stadium tour amongst other events.

Amanda, from Caerphilly, is a former cook, having worked in both restaurants and schools during her career – her pride and joy are her homemade profiteroles. Now, she enjoys regularly watching her granddaughter Layla play football for Cascade Youth Club Ladies.
Layla and her mum Ann-Marie have supported Amanda since she was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia 18 months ago. Amanda now attends a local monthly dementia group and stays active by regularly walking her beloved dog, Sky.

A former nurse, Adrienne (known to her friends as Did) was initially diagnosed with dementia in 2020. Since then, she and her husband Nick have been attending their local young persons Alzheimer’s group. Despite having Alzheimer’s herself, Adrienne finds her previous nursing experience comes to the surface, as she is always helping other members of the group.
An outgoing person, Adrienne loves helping and entertaining others, and would always be the first to join in almost any activity. She’s incredibly excited to be walking onto the pitch at Wembley and is keen to support Alzheimer’s Society and help beat dementia.

Leyton has been a football fan his entire life and was actually named after Leyton Orient! However, his two teams are Liverpool and Cardiff City, and he is also a close follower of the Welsh national team.
Back in 2022, Leyton was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and was later diagnosed with Parkinson’s related to dementia, which was a shock to both him and his family. After his diagnosis, Leyton began attending a memory clinic and joined a local dementia support group, as well as completing a Memory Walk to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society. Since receiving his diagnosis, Leyton has been committed to living each day to the fullest and is ecstatic to be walking out onto the pitch at Wembley, fulfilling a lifelong dream.

Maria has loved playing football since her childhood living in Portugal, though her parents did not approve.
For a woman in Portugal, playing football was very frowned upon with women expected to be restricted to domestic roles, and Maria found herself being punished regularly for trying to play.
That didn’t stop her though, playing in secret with her brother. She doesn’t follow a particular team and prefers not to watch on television, but will watch any team play in person, as she loves to shout, complain, sing and get carried away with the atmosphere. She was diagnosed with dementia two years ago, and suspects dementia runs in her family, though in her time in Portugal, the condition was not spoken about openly and heavily stigmatised.

Whether playing himself in local leagues, watching his beloved Cardiff City, or refereeing youth and adult games, football has always played a massive part in Chris’ life.
In fact, the love of the game has always run in the family, with Chris’ father having played for Barry Town and trialling for Arsenal. Chris’ Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis came as a shock, but it hasn’t stopped him from visiting Cardiff City Stadium with his son and brother.
He is now also a regular attendee at Cardiff’s Community Foundation 1927 Club for people with dementia and was nominated to walk out at Wembley by the club to proudly represent The Bluebirds and the city.

A retired chef with six children, Camella was diagnosed with mixed dementia in 2022. She still maintains a passion for cooking and cookery programmes, and also enjoys spending time with her family, going for walks in the countryside, playing music and dancing.
Last year, she started attending Spring Bleaú Dementia Cafe in Luton, where she enjoys sharing her love of dancing with others, as well as doing arts and crafts, and playing bingo.
A fan of watching a variety of sports on television, Camella is an adopted Liverpool fan as a result of her three sons, who she would watch with as they grew up. She also has fond memories of following England in major tournaments with her family, but this will be her first trip to Wembley.

Paul was just 48 when he was diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).
He is passionate about increasing conversation around early-onset dementia, having personally experienced many barriers himself, including friends not believing he could have a diagnosis at such a young age and finding it difficult to know how to talk to him.
Paul would regularly visit Portman Road to watch his beloved Ipswich Town in his youth, with memories of standing on a milk crate in the terraces to see. He also has fond memories of hosting World Cup watch parties with friends and family in his back garden.
He now volunteers for Alzheimer's Society and co-founded and delivered a service in Essex for people with an early-onset diagnosis.

Sue is football mad and will watch any game she can. Her team is Bristol Rovers and she refers to herself as a proud ‘Gashead’.
Sue was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) – she now goes into schools to talk about her condition, and attends a dementia group once a month at St Stephen’s Church in Bristol.
She hopes by walking out at Wembley with England and Wales, she can show people that having dementia doesn’t mean you can’t have incredible experiences, and that she does a lot more than just sit around.

Peter is a lifelong Preston North End supporter, even attending Sir Tom Finney’s last game for the club, and still goes whenever he can with his son, grandson or brother.
He is also a dedicated member of the club’s Sporting Memories group, attending weekly sessions and trips with his brother Terry. He was diagnosed with mixed dementia immediately before the pandemic in 2020, having previously worked for the NHS for 40 years.
Preston nominated Peter for his passion and loyalty to the club, alongside his resilience after he recently lost his beloved wife. Peter is also a music-lover, having been in several bands himself including a ukulele group.