W.Bro Andy Cross, IPM of St Barnabas Lodge, 948, visited the offices of Dementia UK this week to hand over a cheque for more than £1,500 as part of the funds raised during his year as Master of the Lodge.
St Barnabas Lodge held various events during the year including a Quiz Night, Christmas lunch and a Ladies weekend. This latter event was attended by over 100 guests in Rochester, Kent and more than £1,800 was raised for charity during the weekend.
A cheque for a similar amount is also on its way to Andy’s other chosen charity. Beecroft Balloon Society is a Dunstable based organisation offering help to disadvantaged and elderly local residents by taking them shopping, running errands, and performing tasks around their homes and gardens.
Sarah Chambers, Community and Events Fundraising Executive for Dementia UK commented: “This very generous donation will pay for an Admiral Nurse to spend quality time, face to face, with up to 30 carers who may be feeling desperately alone and unsupported”.
Andy added: “Having watched my own mother suffering from vascular dementia for the last few years of her life, it’s wonderful to see at first hand the wonderful and caring support that the Admiral Nurses can provide to other sufferers and their families. With the additional research currently being undertaken into Dementia and possible ways of helping to avoid or diminish the onset of this debilitating illness, we can all hope that soon it will be better understood, diagnosed earlier and most of all, less prevalent in our society.”
Andy is shown at Dementia UK’s offices, in London, presenting the cheque to Susan Drayton, Admiral Nurse Clinical Lead, with Sarah Chambers, Community and Events Fundraising Executive.