A Middleton Hall Retirement Village resident’s ten-year-old great granddaughter, Charlotte, ran the Junior Great North Run on Saturday 8th October, to raise money and awareness for Dementia UK.

The sun was shining and the conditions were perfect for a run along the Quayside in Newcastle and she finished in 17th position with a time of 19:09 for a 4km race – a great achievement! Charlotte also went above and beyond in her fundraising and raised well above her target of £300 and is now nearing nearly £500.

Although dementia can affect a person at any age, it is much more common in people over the age of 65. Common symptoms of dementia are memory loss, confusion, and problems with speech and understanding. According to Dementia UK, by 2025 it has been estimated that over one million people in the UK will be diagnosed with dementia.

This gave Charlotte the motivation to raise awareness and a member of her family said: “I think the overall message is we need to make people aware that there are people out there to help. Don’t be frightened to ask for advice and find somebody to help.” 

As well as the general need for awareness, dementia (and Dementia UK) are a cause and charity close to the family’s heart. One of Charlotte’s grandparents has been diagnosed with dementia and her great grandma Barbara also suffers from it and is now a resident at Middleton Hall.

With the support of Charlotte’s fundraising, a charity such as Dementia UK can provide life-changing support to families living with dementia. They can be provided with resources and gain the increased knowledge to solve problems and help families face the future with confidence. The charity also instigates changes across communities to make them more dementia friendly and raises awareness with people that there are individuals out there to help.

To find out more about how supporting a charity such as Dementia UK is beneficial, please visit the link: https://www.dementiauk.org/get-involved/donate/your-stories/