National home care provider Bluebird Care has launched a major new fundraising partnership with Alzheimer’s Society supported by Dame Arlene Philips DBE.
Bluebird Care aims to raise an amazing £50,000 for Alzheimer’s Society over the coming year. The care provider’s mission is to change the lives of those living with dementia, and their families, by becoming the leading dementia specialist in home care.
To announce the fundraising partnership, Bluebird Care hosted a launch event in London last week with special guest Dame Arlene Phillips DBE, celebrity choreographer and dementia activist.
Jonathan Gardner, Chief Executive of Bluebird Care, Dame Arlene Phillips DBE, and representatives from Alzheimer’s Society all joined together to sign a pledge to cement the fundraising partnership and demonstrate their ongoing commitment to those with dementia and their families.
In a welcome address, Jonathan Gardner also announced that Bluebird Care have pledged that all 10,000 of their team members across the UK will become Dementia Friends – a national initiative led by Alzheimer’s Society to encourage individuals to better understand what it’s like to live with dementia.
Dame Arlene then took part in several reflective conversations with members of Bluebird Care’s care team to understand their experiences and discuss together the importance of specialised dementia care. She also heard from the care experts about their team’s varied fundraising ideas and planned activities over the summer as part of the home care organisation’s £50,000 fundraising pledge for Alzheimer’s Society.
After experiencing the realities of dementia care following her father’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease, Dame Arlene became an Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador and outspoken advocate for increased awareness of dementia and improvement to care.
One in three people born in the UK today will be diagnosed with dementia in their lifetime, and 1.4 million people are expected to be living with dementia by 2040. With 202 franchises providing both residential and live-in care, Bluebird Care’s fundraising partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, and their reaffirmed commitment to excellence in dementia care provision, will have a significant impact on the hundreds of communities they serve across the UK and Ireland.
Jonathan Gardner, Chief Executive Officer, Bluebird Care, said:
“I am really proud to be celebrating this milestone fundraising partnership between Bluebird Care and Alzheimer’s Society. As an organisation, we are committed to delivering outstanding care to everyone living with dementia across our home care and live-in care services.
“We are delighted to be donating £50,000 of funds generated through fundraising from our franchise partners to Alzheimer’s Society, and we are committed to rolling out Dementia Friends sessions to our team members. We are honoured to be joined by Dame Arlene Phillips today, whose advocacy in this area is an incredible example of the impact we can have when we use our voice and platform for good.”
Zena Jones, Regional Fundraiser at Alzheimer’s Society, said:
“We are so grateful that Bluebird Care have chosen to support Alzheimer’s Society this year. Each hour people generously give to fundraise for us, every event they take part in, every pound they donate, they’re making a life-changing difference to people living with dementia.
“There are over 983,000 people living with dementia in the UK. But we simply can’t reach everyone without the continued support of our incredible fundraising partners like Bluebird Care. Together, we will end the devastation caused by dementia.”
Dame Arlene Phillips DBE, said:
“It’s so refreshing to be in a room full of people ready to work towards such a clear and important goal. For those of us whose lives have been personally affected by dementia, either directly or through a family member, there are few things more important than knowing that safe, quality care is available to you or the people you love. Bluebird Care have the potential to impact so many lives, and I applaud them for stepping up to the challenge.”
