Teams from across the provider’s 220 franchise businesses completed sponsored challenges to reach the total donation – including marathon running, hikes, community events, and even a few skydives.
The efforts are part of Bluebird Care’s national fundraising partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, announced at a launch event in May.
At that partnership launch event, Bluebird Care representatives together with Alzheimer’s Society and Dame Arlene Phillips signed a pledge to commit to becoming the leading provider of specialist dementia care at home in the UK.
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The dementia pledge has been a key part of the organisation’s fundraising mission as it has been taken on a huge relay race across the country from Cornwall to Aberdeen.
Each Bluebird Care franchise team along the route signed and carried the printed pledge to the next stop on its tour by any means necessary to represent the part they will play in achieving Bluebird Care’s dementia mission.
Amongst hundreds of other activities, the pledge relay saw Hugo Mills and son Seb row the Solent in heavy rain, Jonathan Billington run three marathons in three days (from Elmbridge to South Wiltshire), and the Bluebird Care Chesterfield and Northeast Derbyshire team cycle 23 miles to hand the pledge to the Mansfield and Ashfield team.
Meanwhile, Jay Ghaghda from Bluebird Care Leicester, Andi Toone and Toni Scott Adams in Worcestershire and Anna Warchol in Northumberland all took the challenge to the skies with sponsored skydives.
The donation total was unveiled at the care provider’s national conference last week by Bluebird Care’s official Celebrity Champion Dame Arlene Phillips DBE and Paul Reynolds, associate director of partnerships at Alzheimer’s Society.
Reynolds told the crowd of Bluebird Care team members that the amount they have raised can fund a PhD student for 22 months to conduct vital research, or fund over 8,400 calls to the charity’s dedicated national dementia helpline.
Bluebird Care is also training its 10,000-strong team to be Dementia Friends and rolling out bespoke specialist dementia training with Alzheimer’s Society.
The training will empower its employees across the country to recognise and treat the earliest signs of dementia, giving people and families the chance to remain in the comfort of their own home for longer as they age.
Jonathan Gardner, chief executive officer, Bluebird Care, said: “I am immensely proud of our teams right across the country for going out with passion, drive, and – in many cases – real courage to raise such an incredible amount for Alzheimer’s Society.
“We know that over 60% of our customers live with dementia. There’s no doubt that good dementia care starts at home, and so we’re proud to be working with Alzheimer’s Society and also investing in bespoke training to give our teams the confidence and skills to become true dementia specialists.
“This donation further cements our commitment to changing the landscape of dementia care.”
Arlene Phillips commented: “Wow – what an incredible achievement! I know first-hand just how important good dementia care is for people with the condition as well as their families, having cared for my own father for several years after he was diagnosed with dementia.
“It’s why I’m so proud to be a Bluebird Care Celebrity Champion, as well as Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador.
“I know that the work Bluebird Care are doing to become leading specialists, as well as the incredible £50,000 they have raised, will genuinely change lives – and that is remarkable.”
Paul Reynolds added: “We are so grateful to every single person at Bluebird Care for all they do to raise awareness of dementia – they have raised an astonishing £50,000 for us and Alzheimer’s Scotland so far.
“Bluebird Care colleagues have climbed mountains and jumped out of planes to raise this money, showing such incredible dedication and commitment.
“We can’t wait to see what they do next. Every event they take part in, every pound they donate, they’re making a life-changing difference to people living with dementia.
“Alzheimer’s Society provides vital support to people living with dementia, funds groundbreaking research and campaigns to make dementia the priority it should be. Together, we will end the devastation caused by dementia.
“There are almost a million people living with dementia in the UK. But we simply can’t reach everyone without the continued support of our incredible fundraisers like Bluebird Care.”
