Fundraising fun to help dementia campaign

A quiz night, garden party, and trips to a vineyard and a museum helped a community raise £1,500 to help people living with dementia who need hospital treatment.

The money was raised by the Mayor of Hawkinge, Cllr Philip Martin, who chose East Kent Hospitals Charity’s dementia campaign as one of his charities for his year of office.

The total was presented to head of charity Dee Neligan, and Amy Harris and Ann McGovern from the dementia team at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital, who said it would make a real difference to people’s experiences.

Dee said: “Few people enjoy being in hospital but it can be particularly confusing and distressing for people who are living with dementia.

“They are often in an unfamiliar environment with people they do not know, on top of feeling ill or in pain.

“Our fantastic dementia team support ward staff to organise activities to help provide comfort or distraction, and we use donations such as this to help buy the equipment and items they need to make people feel safe and to help with their recovery.”

Cllr Martin said: “Dementia is a cruel disease and most people will have experience of the toll it has taken on a loved one.

“I was delighted to be able to present this money to East Kent Hospitals Charity to help staff care for people living with dementia and am grateful to everyone who supported the fundraising events throughout my year in office.”

Cllr Martin also donated proceeds from his fundraising to Hope for Tomorrow, which runs mobile chemotherapy units across east Kent, helping people to have their cancer treatment nearer their homes.

For more information on East Kent Hospitals Charity and how you can make a donation, visit https://www.ekhcharity.org.uk/