Donate for Dementia raises €1 million for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland
Virgin Media Television’s Donate for Dementia fundraising and awareness week has raised €1 million for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.
All last week, Virgin Media Television aired special programming around the disease, which affects half a million Irish families, with one in 10 of those diagnosed being under the age of 65.
The special week concluded on Sunday night with the highly anticipated broadcast of Finding Jack Charlton, which was commissioned by Virgin Media Television and the BBC.
Over half a million people nationwide tuned into the programme, which is now also available to view on the Virgin Media Player, while 355,800 tuned in for Martin King’s documentary, We Need To Talk About Dementia, with the entire week reaching over a million people.
During the week, on Wednesday last, Ireland AM sent reporters to Ballina for interviews with a number of locals who remembered Jack Charlton from his time spent in the town, where he enjoyed fishing on the Moy.
All funds raised from the week will be used to fund The Alzheimer Society of Ireland’s dementia services that support the 64,000 people living with dementia in Ireland including redeveloping day care centres, providing family carer training and providing information and support across the country.
Pat McLoughlin, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, said: “Everyone at the Alzheimer Society of Ireland is absolutely delighted after the success of the Donate for Dementia week with Virgin Media Television, culminating in the powerful and thought-provoking Martin King We Need to Talk About Dementia documentary and the inspiring Finding Jack Charlton documentary.
“During this past week we have raised an incredible sum in donations for vital dementia supports and services, raised awareness of dementia and really kick-started a national conversation around dementia. We have, through the partnership with the Virgin Media team, brought dementia out of the shadows.
“I am so grateful to everybody who took part and supported the week, whether you did a Jump for Jack challenge, shared your story and experience, supported on social media or made a donation. We are so grateful and really taken aback by everyone’s generosity of spirit.
“All money raised from the Donate for Dementia week will be used to fund our dementia services that support the 64,000 people living with dementia in Ireland. We rely heavily on donations from the public to keep our supports and services in place, so any donation made really counts and means so much to the people who depend on these services.”
Paul Farrell, managing director of Virgin Media Television, stated: “We’re humbled but not surprised by the wonderful generosity of our viewers who have donated to this cause. I think it’s fair to say that the much-loved Jack Charlton would be very proud of this outcome. His illness, as we saw in the documentary, told a story that very many people and families in Ireland all too sadly will recognise.
“I’m also extremely proud of the energy, passion and creativity that everyone in Virgin Media TV put into making the Donate for Dementia campaign such a resounding success in raising awareness about dementia and raising much-needed funds for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.”