In the news recently, we learned that national treasure and iconic Queen Vic landlady, Dame Barbara Windsor is suffering from Alzheimer’s and it’s a stark reminder that anyone can fall victim to this devastating disease.
Alzheimer’s doesn’t discriminate; whether you’re (relatively) young, old, rich, poor, celebrity or an average man on the street like me, the sad truth is that either you, or someone you know and love will at some point be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Official statistics suggest that someone in the UK develops dementia every 3 minutes and the 850,000 sufferers in the UK currently is predicted to rise exponentially over the next 10 years. There is no cure, no prevention and very little systematic research into this devastating illness. The time for action is now.
Back in February, in support of Insurance United Against Dementia (IUAD), we officially launched “InsureTrek18”, an epic 3-day trek around Mont Blanc which aimed to unite the insurance industry in raising £75,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society.
3 months on and I’m proud that I’ve managed to convince a team of 23 friends and colleagues from right across the industry that it will be fun (!) and more importantly that it is a fantastic cause to support. So thankfully I won’t be walking the mountains alone! Intrepid insurers, brokers, suppliers and our reporter on the scene, Sian Barton, are training in earnest as we speak; preparing to lace up their walking boots and take on the Alps.
For me training has begun in earnest, or at least I’ve climbed a hill! Over the Bank Holiday weekend I tackled Snowdon with my eldest daughter Aisling. It may not be Mont Blanc but it’s the closest we get in England & Wales! It felt like an achievement until we realised that we were probably 2 out of about 10,000 people to do it that day. At the very least it was decent training for BIBA this week, when as well as being on our feet for hours I took part in a trek related challenge with Carol Geldard, our Personal Lines Director!
Fundraising is well underway with our combined team total currently standing at over £33,000 and I’d just like to thank everyone who has badgered their colleagues and loved ones to contribute to this, particularly our MVP Peter Blanc who’s managed to raise over £7000 alone already! More importantly the level of support we have seen from our friends across the industry just gives us even more incentive to get fit and get the job done!
Clearly we still have a long way to go to reach our total but with the support of the whole industry, I know we can do it.
Right, I’m going to go and find another hill to climb …!
The intrepid InsureTrek team's expedition is taking place between 16th-22nd September 2018
If you would like to help the InsureTrek reach their financial target, please CLICK HERE
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