Alzheimer Scotland has been selected as BEAR Scotland’s National Charity Partner for 2023 after securing 25 percent of the votes in an employee poll.

As well as taking part in fundraising events across the organisation, BEAR will take part in initiatives throughout the year to raise awareness of the work the charity does to ensure nobody faces dementia alone. Employees will also be taking part in the charity’s Dementia Friends Scotland training.

Alzheimer Scotland, like many charities, is heavily reliant on fundraised income, to continue to be there to support people living with dementia, their families and their carers.

Caroline Miller, Lead for Stakeholder Engagement: “We are delighted to have been chosen by BEAR Scotland as their charity to support this year. Our mission as a charity is to make sure no one faces dementia alone. The money raised will go towards our front-line services such as our Freephone 24-hour Helpline and our network of Dementia Advisors who play a vital role at the heart of communities across Scotland helping people to live well with dementia for as long as possible, providing information and advising on their rights. With over 90,000 people in Scotland living with a diagnosis we rely on support from organisations like BEAR Scotland to help us fund these services”.

Alzheimer Scotland provides essential information and support for people with dementia, their carers and families 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The charity also offers a wide range of innovative community led groups and engages with the local community to build a wider understanding of dementia through their Dementia Friends programme, as well as funding research to prevent, care and cure dementia.

BEAR Scotland is committed to delivering a positive footprint to the communities in which it operates and has a comprehensive community benefits programme. In 2022 it donated a total of £48,500 to good causes, including 18 charities and 17 community projects/clubs across Scotland.

Joanna Buggy, BEAR Scotland’s engagement manager said, “The annual national charity partnership is a key element within our employee fundraising programme.

“We polled our staff offering options of five different well-known national causes. While it was quite a tight result, Alzheimer Scotland came out on top – proving it’s a priority for our colleagues to make sure no one faces dementia alone.”