Oldham MP welcomes increase in dementia funding

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams, the creator of the Dementia Friendly Oldham campaign, has welcomed the government’s announcement to tackle dementia and double dementia research funding in memory of the late Dame Barbara Windsor.

Ms Abrahams has been lobbying the Prime Minister, and the government, since 2019 about its funding commitment in their 2019 general election manifesto, to double dementia research funding by 2024, reaching a total of £160 million a year.

The MP, who is also the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Dementia, said: “It’s taken three years of pushing the Prime Minister to keep his 2019 manifesto pledge to double funding for research into dementia by myself, and organisations like the Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research, but we got there.

“Originally the government referred to their promise as the ‘dementia moonshot’, an apt description for the amount of effort we need to put into research to tackle this disease, which is currently affecting 900,000 people across the UK, along with millions of family carers and friends.

“I welcome the campaign, now being referred to as the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission, as she was a much-loved public figure and I’m sure that using her name to promote the campaign will help increase understanding, and that’s a great thing.

“Dame Barbara, and her husband Scott Mitchell, both did a huge amount of work to raise awareness, even meeting with the Prime Minister to push the message home to him that he must tackle social care and boost funding for dementia research.

“We can all do our bit to back Babs' Army by signing up to the Join Dementia Research initiative, and taking part means you will help make a real difference to the future of dementia care, diagnosis and treatment.” 

Find out more about taking part in Join Dementia Research by clicking here

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