A LICHFIELD man has raised thousands of pounds for a dementia charity in memory of his father.
Mark Philban, whose father Michael had vascular dementia, hosted a charity golf day that raised £26,000 for Alzheimer’s Society.
He organised the event at Darnford Moors Golf Club and saw 56 players attend, with companies and individuals donating prizes and offering sponsorship.
Mark said:
“My father Michael had vascular dementia. We recognised symptoms around eight years before he was diagnosed – he was forgetting things and slowly getting worse. He had a series of falls that accelerated everything.
“We had a good diagnosis experience. Someone came out and did the test – they asked him questions and diagnosed him with mild dementia, then he had a stroke that hit him hard. He carried on living at home with carers coming in three times a day, and his wife cared for him.
“I saw first-hand the affect dementia has on the rest of the family. Seeing my father at the end of his life and knowing Alzheimer’s Society will use the money we raised to help other families affected by dementia, I was happy we organised the golf day.”
The Alzheimer’s Society’s Rachel Ford said:
“We are so grateful that Mark has chosen to support Alzheimer’s Society with this golf day in memory of his father.
“Each hour people generously give to fundraise for us, 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 for 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 Mark.”