Putting dementia on the agenda at the 2024 party conferences
Our Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Faradane O’Callaghan, reflects on this year’s political party conferences and the progress we have made in the first 100 days of this Government.
Reality star Georgia Kousoulou joins Dementia UK
We are thrilled to announce reality star Georgia Kousoulou as our latest celebrity supporter
Georgia, whose grandmother is living with dementia, has seen first-hand how it affects families as well as those living with the condition and has been supporting the charity over the past year.
She recently took part in an awareness-raising video for the charity, “Lives on Hold”, appearing alongside other celebrity supporters, family carers, staff and Admiral Nurses to raise awareness of the needs of people with dementia during the Covid-19 crisis and beyond.
Speaking of her role, Georgia explained
I’m really proud to be an official supporter of Dementia UK. My lovely YiaYia (grandmother) is living with dementia and I know how hard it can be for families caring for a loved one with this heart-breaking condition, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic. I’m really looking forward to developing my role with the charity and being able to promote the work of its specialist Admiral Nurses.
Hilda Hayo, Chief Executive and Chief Admiral Nurse at Dementia UK, said:
We are hugely thankful to have Georgia supporting us at a time when families with dementia have been significantly hit by the pandemic. Everyone affected by dementia is going through their own challenges in a climate of reduced services, with deterioration of the person living with dementia and decreased physical and mental health of family members being some of the more frequent issues we are seeing. Families need to have advocates in the form of Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurses, but there also needs to be awareness of these dementia specialists. Having Georgia’s influence and passion will be so beneficial as we continue to increase Admiral Nurse services at this time.
Georgia joins a roster of famous faces who have a direct and personal link to the cause. These include actors Jim Broadbent, Phyllis Logan, Judy Parfitt and Lorelei King, musician Shahid Khan (Naughty Boy) as well as British athlete Adelle Tracey, who is the charity’s Challenge Events Ambassador.
Alongside her work for the charity, Georgia will continue to appear on ITVBe’s TOWIE, where she is a firm favourite along with boyfriend Tommy Mallet. The couple recently surprised fans and other cast members, when they announced they were expecting a baby on the show.
When things get challenging or difficult for people with dementia and their families, Admiral Nurses work alongside them; giving compassionate one-to-one support, expert guidance and practical solutions which can be hard to find elsewhere. They are continually trained, developed and supported by Dementia UK.
Dementia named UK’s leading cause of death for second year in a row
With more people in the UK dying of dementia than any other condition, our Head of Policy, Campaigns and Public Affairs, Andrew Pike, reflects on why we must all work together to ensure that every family affected receives the support it needs.
Tackling stigma within the Chinese community
Two years ago, Dementia UK partnered with the Chinese Welfare Trust to launch a new dementia specialist Admiral Nurse clinic to support Chinese and South-East Asian families. Admiral Nurse Emily Ka-Hei Lui reflects on the pilot service and its early achievements.