A Repton firm is celebrating after smashing its own fund-raising target to help boost care and research for people with dementia and their carers.

Staff at the Awbery, a leadership and development firm, have raised £647, beating its £500 fund-raising target for the Alzheimer's Society.

Lucy Lewis, Awbery's marketing co-ordinator, raised £500 of the overall total through sponsorship from colleagues, family and friends when she took part in the Alzheimer's Society Memory Walk at Clumber Park this month.

The rest has been raised from donations and cash collections throughout the year, including a programme of regular fund-raising events, staff fancy-dress days, memory workouts and quiz games at Awbery's head office in Repton.

Derbyshire firm Awbery has raised £647 for Alzheimer’s Society via a programme of fundraising events this year, including dressing-up days for staff.

Mary Sisson, Awbery director, said: "The whole team has really embraced fund-raising for the Alzheimer's Society and we are thrilled to have beaten our £500 target and be able to donate almost £650 to this amazing charity.

"We decided on Alzheimer's Society as our charity of the year because alzheimer's and dementia are something that has sadly touched many of our lives."

According to the Alzheimer's Society, there are currently 14,000 people living with dementia in Derbyshire, and 850,000 people across the UK. These numbers are expected to rise, with the charity predicting 225,000 will develop dementia in the UK this year - that is one diagnosis every three minutes."

Danielle Hindle, Alzheimer's Society community fund-raiser in the East Midlands, said: "We are incredibly grateful that staff at Awbery have chosen the Alzheimer's Society as their charity of the year in 2017 and have raised so much through a busy and creative programme of fund-raising challenges."

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, although there are many different types. It can be hard to initially diagnose, very often being passed off as forgetfulness or put down to old age, and gets worse over time, but the speed of change can vary from person to person.

Helen O'Connor, Alzheimer's Society services manager for Derbyshire, said: "Dementia is a leading cause of death and until we find a cure, we must ramp up fund-raising to ensure people have access to the right support and services, as well as funding research into better care and treatments."

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