- Alzheimer’s Society registered its highest call volume on record for its Dementia Support Line in December, the majority seeking social care advice
- Unprecedented demand has continued into January and highlighted the ongoing need for fundraising to support its crucial work
- The charity has set up its Dementia Run Club with members aiming to train together and complete the AJ Bell Great North Run to raise funds
- Alzheimer’s Society is the official charity of the AJ Bell Great Run Series and 2026 marks the 45th AJ Bell Great North Run
Alzheimer’s Society, the UK’s leading dementia charity, had its busiest ever December for its Dementia Support Line with nearly 5,000 calls received – up 16% from December 2024.
The charity attributes the surge in calls to families spending more time together in recent weeks. Some people may have noticed, for the first time, changes in a loved one that could indicate dementia, while others faced increased care demands for someone already living with the condition.
Less than a week into 2026, and with call levels remaining high, the charity is encouraging people to sign up to AJ Bell Great Run Series events to help sustain support for people affected by dementia and vital investment in groundbreaking research.
The charity has launched its Dementia Run Club, a unique running group made up of 10 people with a personal or professional connection to dementia, including a person living with the condition, a dementia researcher and a carer.
Running With Us coaches will prepare the club to complete the 45th AJ Bell Great North Run on 13 September and fundraise for Alzheimer’s Society, the official charity of the AJ Bell Great Run Series 2026/2027.
Recruited from across the country and united in their mission – to keep dementia on the run until it’s beaten – the club’s members are:
- Jane Buckels, 68, from Abergavenny, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2014 and has found running helps to manage her symptoms
- Paul Lindsay, 52, from Nottingham, who has cared for his dad, Richard, since his diagnosis in 2022. They ran the Great North Run in 1997
- James Smith, 46, from Newmarket, who started running in his twenties with his dad, Fred. Running together stopped sadly due to Fred’s dementia
- Catherine Courtney-Diggins, 37, from London, who is running for her dad, Tom, diagnosed in 2018 with early onset dementia aged 63
- Shannon Barden, 27, from Essex, who supports her nan, Babs, diagnosed with dementia in 2023. Her main carer is her husband of 65 years
- Dr Harry Pritchard, 36, from Manchester, who is an Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Research Leader, based at the Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre at the University of Manchester
- Jack Busby, 24, from London, is running for his grandfather Terry, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2018 and is now in an assisted living residence
- Lucas Cloves, 24, from London, who recently ran 50 marathons in 50 days to fundraise in memory of his grandmothers, Margaret and Carol
- Megan Parker, 24, from Manchester, who is running for her grandmother, Shirley, who died from dementia in October 2025
- Antoni Hall, 41, from Darlington, who is a Local Services Manager for Alzheimer’s Society in the North East and Yorkshire
Darlington-based Antoni said:
“I’m incredibly proud to join the Dementia Run Club for this year’s Great North Run. As part of the local services team, I see how every pound raised provides a lifeline for those affected. One in three people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime – that could be as many as 20,000 runners in the Great North Run. Having Alzheimer’s Society at the front of this iconic event encourages people to seek support, and every donation counts. On a personal level, it’s great to get back into fitness for a cause so close to home. I can’t wait to hear the Darlington crowds cheering us on.”
Celebrity supporter, Hugh Dennis, who has completed the Great South Run and other fundraising events for Alzheimer’s Society, said:
“Nothing compares to the pride of taking on a charity challenge, as no matter how tough it gets, you know that your effort will make a real and lasting difference to those who most need it. What the Dementia Run Club is attempting is truly incredible – if you can, please consider donating or sign up to your own AJ Bell Great Runs Series event.”
Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer and affects every generation and community, with over 41,000 people living with the condition in the North East alone. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.
Alzheimer’s Society is the only dementia charity doing everything it takes to beat the condition – delivering vital support services, funding pioneering research and campaigning relentlessly for change.
Michelle Dyson CB, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Society, said:
“Every call to our Dementia Support Line represents a person or family reaching out for answers, guidance and hope as they navigate the often-complex challenges of a dementia diagnosis. Fundraising and donations ensure Alzheimer’s Society can be there whether at the end of a phone call, through a Dementia Adviser or by leading pioneering research into treatments and a cure. Beating dementia will take all of us, a society united by a single goal, and that’s exactly what Dementia Run Club and its members bring to life.”
Stephen Vowles, Chief Marketing Officer at AJ Bell, adds:
“We’re very proud to be partnering with Alzheimer’s Society for the 2026/2027 Great Run Series and to play our part in the collective fundraising effort to beat the UK’s biggest killer. Dementia will affect almost everyone at some point during their lifetime, with many of our own staff recently sharing stories of the profound impact it’s had on them and their families.
“This is why it is imperative that we work together to fund vital support services and research that could improve the lives of those living with dementia and their loved ones. Initiatives such as the Dementia Run Club are one of many ways we believe people will be inspired to take part in Great Run events across the country this year.”
This is the last week to apply for a place for the AJ Bell Great North Run through the ballot, after this you can enter via a charity place. As well as the Great North Run, the AJ Bell Great Run Series calendar includes the Great Birmingham Run (3 May), the Great Bristol Run (10 May), the Great Manchester Run (31 May), the Great Scottish Run (4 October) and the Great South Run (18 October).
Join the race to beat dementia, the UK’s biggest killer – sign up to run for Alzheimer’s Society in an AJ Bell Great Run Series event, or donate to the Dementia Run Club here. Together, we’ve got dementia on the run.
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