Findon Dine for Dementia raises funds for new hub

Margaret Bamford OBE, along with her husband Terry, organised a buffet lunch to raise awareness about dementia and to promote the New Hub Fundraising Appeal.

More than 50 guests were invited for a meal and quiz at Margaret’s home in Findon on Sunday, September 17. As well as giving the people attending the opportunity to talk about family and friends living with dementiak, the event raised a £1,074 which will go towards the New Hub Fundraising Appeal. Dementia Support has been fundraising £1.74 million to renovate their building, which is based in Tangmere, near Chichester, and officially opens the Dementia Support Hub in Spring 2018.

Rebecca Stotesbury, fundraising manager, said: “We are so grateful that Margaret and Terry organised such a successful event, which brought people together to talk about dementia and let people know about services we will provide at the Dementia Support Hub in Tangmere.”

Dine for Dementia is a fundraising and awareness raising event for local charity Dementia Support. The local community is invited to hold a social event – dinner, lunch, afternoon tea or coffee morning with their family and friends.

Margaret has been an avid supporter of local charity Dementia Support since attending a dementia fundraising event in 2016. The former lead governor of the Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation and assistant director for social services, has pledged her support ever since and has actively promoted the charity’s work to open a dementia support hub in Tangmere.

The charity recognised her dedication and the expertise she could bring to the charity, and invited Margaret to become a patron.

She said: “As a Patron of Dementia Support, I was thrilled to host a fun event with great friends. It was a unique way to support this wonderful and much needed new initiative for people affected by dementia in West Sussex.”

The charity’s philosophy is to provide an accessible and flexible service that offers care, support, advice and friendship all under one roof. The Dementia Support Hub in Tangmere will be a unique, modern and functional community hub, where people can access the most up to date support, information and advice. The services will be available for people living with dementia, and their families and carers in the West Sussex area.