Nurse Francesca Hall at last year’s Memory Walk
BLACKPOOL Teaching hospital’s nurses and cousins Francesca Hall and Dina Bowey, have planned their second Blackpool Memory Walk to raise money for dementia care.
Together with cousin Maddalena Vettese, the girls have organised the event in memory of their uncle Eugenio Luigi Chiappe and Maddalena’s ‘nonna’ Luigina Vettese.
Dina and Fran are also Dementia Champions at the hospital and see the effects of dementia on patients and their families daily. Fran said: “As a family, dementia has had an increasing impact on our family with several family members with the disease.
“ We want to ensure that people have the best care in hospital and know what support and services they have available to them locally. Dementia care is close to our hearts.”
Last year’s event raised over £2800 for Blue Skies Hospital Fund and the Alzheimer’s Society. Part of the money has transformed two of the Care of the Elderly wards at Blackpool hospital to ensure they are dementia friendly environments which improve orientation.
The Memory Walk will take place on Sunday 15th of May 2016 at 1pm from the Glitter Ball on the Promenade to the Comedy Carpet and will take approximately 60 minutes to complete.
Anybody can enter on the day. It’s free to join but a donation to the charity online or in the collection buckets on the day is suggested. Participants can also collect sponsorship forms from the Blue Skies office at Blackpool Teaching hospital.
Walkers are encouraged to wear a Blue Skies Hospital Fund T-shirt – these are available from the Blue Skies office at Blackpool hospital or can be purchased on the day for £5, or to wear green, blue or white which are the charities’ colours.
‘I’m walking for’ cards will be available on the day for a small donation in order for participants to write the name of the person they are walking in memory of.
Wheelchair access is available and the walk is dementia friendly. Children are welcome as long as they are accompanied by a responsible adult and pets are welcome too.
Follow the dementia champions from
Blackpool hospital on Twitter @teambutterfly0 for updates.
https://www.justgiving.com/blackpoolmemorywalk2016blueskies
https://www.justgiving.com/blackpoolmemorywalk2016alzheimerssociety