Coventry-based Cadent launches £100,000 fundraising partnership for Alzheimer’s Society

• Cadent launches two-year fundraising partnership with Alzheimer’s Society
• Employees pledge to raise £100,000 for people living with dementia
• Company commits to 1,000 staff becoming  ‘Dementia Friends’
• Coventry Cadent staff plan to raise lots of dough on Cupcake Day

Staff at Coventry-based gas distribution network, Cadent, are teaming up with Alzheimers Society to raise £100,000 for people living with dementia.

Cadent is launching a two-year fundraising partnership with Alzheimer’s Society today, Cupcake Day (15 June) – a major annual fundraiser for the Society.

Employees voted for Alzheimer’s Society as Cadent’s chosen charity. Over the next 24 months, the company’s 5,000-strong workforce have pledged to bake, cycle, run, climb and even skydive in a bid to generate funds for the 850,000 people in the UK affected by dementia.

In addition, the company is pledging to make 1,000 employees ‘Dementia Friends’. ‘Dementia Friends’ information sessions help people better understand the challenges faced by those living with the condition and the small ways in which they can help.

Formerly National Grid Gas Distribution, the company re-launched as Cadent in May. Championing the partnership is Cadent’s Director of Safety and Network Strategy, David Parkin.

Customers and communities are at the heart of our operations. Dementia touches so many of their lives, as well as those of our own staff, which is why we are proud to support Alzheimer’s Society in their mission to help people with dementia live well.

The money we raise will help people with dementia live independently in their own homes for longer and - ultimately – help to find a cure for this condition. Having a family member with dementia I have seen first-hand the challenges those with dementia and their carers face and the difference that good support can make.

Michael Dent, Director of Fundraising for Alzheimer’s Society said: Dementia is set to be the 21st century’s biggest killer, with someone developing it every three minutes, and there’s currently no cure. With Cadent’s help, we aim to change this.

We’re delighted to be uniting with Cadent and their employees, who have pledged to raise £100,000 and make 1,000 Dementia Friends over the next two years. Their support will help us to create a better world for people affected by dementia today, but also to find a cure for tomorrow.

They are off to a great start with their fundraising by rising to challenge today (Thursday 15 June) by taking part in Alzheimer’s Society Cupcake Day. We hope everyone has a fantastic day!

Today sees Cadent staff in Coventry getting fired up for their first fundraising event of the two-year partnership - Cupcake Day. Employees at the company’s Asbrook Court offices at Prologis Park are cooking up a fundraising feast of tasty cakes.

Volunteers from the company will be dropping in on Alzheimer’s Society’s local Activity Group at Hearsall Baptist Church, Coventry, to share their cakes and help with activities. Activity groups give people affected by dementia the opportunity to take part in structured activities and the chance to relax and socialise. There are more than 73,000 people living with dementia in the West Midlands.

In its own twist on Cupcake Day, the newly-launched company is encouraging staff to bake cakes in the company’s smart new, red, livery.

Whether it’s cupcakes topped with a distinctive red frosting or a fleet of Cadent vans in Victoria sponge, we’re letting our employees’ imaginations run wild as we kickstart our fundraising partnership. We’re urging our staff to share their cake creations on twitter #CupcakeDay, added David.

National Cupcake Day is a major fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society – generating £330,000 in 2016. This year they hope to raise even more to help those affected by dementia today and find a cure for tomorrow.

For more information about Alzheimer’s Society go to alzheimers.org.uk

Factfile

Where does the money go?

£40 pays for five people with dementia to attend a ‘Singing for the Brain’ session

£150 pays for a National Dementia Helpline Advisor to provide 10 hours of crucial support to people affected by dementia

£610 would pay for a Doctoral Training Centre to run for one day helping up to eight PhD researchers carry out ground-breaking studies in dementia research

Dementia facts

• 850,000 people with dementia in the UK – set to rise to one million by 2021.
• Dementia is the leading cause of death in England and Wales.
• One person develops dementia every three minutes.
• Dementia is not a natural part of ageing – over 40,000 people under the age of 65 are living with the condition.
• Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain – diseases such as Alzheimer’s cause nerve cells to die, damaging the structure and chemistry of the brain.
• It’s not just about memory loss. Although dementia often starts by affecting short-term memory, it can also affect the way people think, speak, perceive things, feel and behave.
• People can still live well with dementia. Scientists and researchers are working to find a cure but until then support and treatments are available that can help with dementia symptoms and managing daily lives.