Alzheimer's Society
Encyclopedia
Alzheimer’s Society is a United Kingdom
care and research
charity
for people with dementia
and their carers.
It is a membership organisation, which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Many of the 25,000 members have personal experience of dementia, as carers, health professionals or people with dementia themselves.
It is a registered charity, number 296645.
This led to the creation of the 'Alzheimer's Disease Society'. A steering committee was formed, consisting of carers and medical professionals, and the first annual general meeting was held on 13 September 1980. This first AGM was attended by 98 members and supporters. The first Newsletter was published in January 1981. A development officer was employed at around this time, and the first branches were established in Oxford and Bromley in 1980 and 1981 respectively.
Through the 1980s and 1990s the society continued to grow, with volunteer committees establishing branches across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. At the AGM in 1999 members of the society agreed the change of name to 'Alzheimer's Society'.
By 2003 the Society was a £30 million organisation, with over 230 branches across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In 2009/10 the Society's income had grown to £58.7 million and it had a network of over 2000 services.
Chairman of the Alzheimer's Society (as at 2010) is Alastair Balls
CB.
plans to take out a series of newspaper adverts urging the public to stop giving money to Cancer Research UK
, the British Heart Foundation
, the Alzheimer's Society and Parkinson's UK unless they end their support for animal testing. "
PETA
includes the Alzheimer's Society on its list of charities test on animals, where it asks people to contact the charities on the list and inform them that donations are instead being given to charities investing all their resources in non-animal research.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
care and research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
for people with dementia
Dementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
and their carers.
It is a membership organisation, which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Many of the 25,000 members have personal experience of dementia, as carers, health professionals or people with dementia themselves.
It is a registered charity, number 296645.
History
The organisation was formed in 1979, when two people with extensive experience of caring for relatives with dementia discussed the pressing need to raise awareness of dementia and to improve the quality of care, support and information for people with dementia and their carers.This led to the creation of the 'Alzheimer's Disease Society'. A steering committee was formed, consisting of carers and medical professionals, and the first annual general meeting was held on 13 September 1980. This first AGM was attended by 98 members and supporters. The first Newsletter was published in January 1981. A development officer was employed at around this time, and the first branches were established in Oxford and Bromley in 1980 and 1981 respectively.
Through the 1980s and 1990s the society continued to grow, with volunteer committees establishing branches across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. At the AGM in 1999 members of the society agreed the change of name to 'Alzheimer's Society'.
By 2003 the Society was a £30 million organisation, with over 230 branches across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In 2009/10 the Society's income had grown to £58.7 million and it had a network of over 2000 services.
Chairman of the Alzheimer's Society (as at 2010) is Alastair Balls
Alastair Balls
Alastair Balls CB is a former senior economic adviser to the U.K. HM Treasury and Director, Northern Region, Departments of Environment and Transport, and is Chairman of the International Centre for Life...
CB.
Activities
The society:- has 230 local branches provide support and information for people with dementia and their carers
- provides information and support for people with dementia and their carers by telephone and online, including factsheets which can be downloaded
- supports research along the themes of "cause, cure, care", by making research grants and providing the "Dementia Knowledge Centre", whose catalogue is available online
- provides information for health and care professionals to help them to care for people with dementia
- campaigns for the rights of people with dementia and their carers, including awareness-raising and lobbying.
- released an iPhone app to spread awareness of dementia
Criticism
The charity is one of 4 organisations subject to a national boycott campaign regarding their usage of animal testing. "Animal AidAnimal Aid
Animal Aid, founded in 1977, is a British animal rights organisation. The group campaigns peacefully against all forms of animal abuse and promotes a cruelty-free lifestyle. It also investigates and exposes animal cruelty....
plans to take out a series of newspaper adverts urging the public to stop giving money to Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK is a cancer research and awareness charity in the United Kingdom, formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. Its aim is to reduce the number of deaths from cancer. As the world's largest independent cancer...
, the British Heart Foundation
British Heart Foundation
The British Heart Foundation is a charity organisation in Britain that funds research, education, care and awareness campaigns aimed to prevent heart diseases in humans.-Foundation:...
, the Alzheimer's Society and Parkinson's UK unless they end their support for animal testing. "
PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
includes the Alzheimer's Society on its list of charities test on animals, where it asks people to contact the charities on the list and inform them that donations are instead being given to charities investing all their resources in non-animal research.