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.
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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 CB.[1]
The society:
The charity is one of 4 organisations subject to a national boycott campaign regarding their usage of animal testing. "Animal Aid 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. "[2][3] 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. [4]