Trust Staff Take Part in Walk for Dementia to Raise Funds for New Website

Published On: 10 July 2025Last Updated: 10 July 2025By CornishStuff

📷 Trust staff raise funds with walk for dementia

Fundraisers from NHS Trust, Memory Matters and beyond step out to support new dementia website for Cornwall

Staff from Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, along with service users and system partners, are taking on a huge summer challenge to support people living with dementia in Cornwall.

The ‘Walk for Dementia Challenge’, set up by the Memory Matters Foundation, is aiming to clock up a mile for every person in Cornwall living with dementia – estimated at around 10,000.

The challenge is open until 26th August, and organisers are still encouraging people to sign up and get involved.

Raising Funds for a Cornish Dementia Website

Money raised will go towards creating a new dementia-specific website for Cornwall, bringing together advice, services and signposting into one accessible place.

Allison Hibbert, clinical lead at Launceston Community Hospital and voluntary chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Dementia Partnership Board, said:

“We are fundraising this year for a website. Healthwatch undertook research in 2023 and lots of people with dementia and their carers fed back to us that it’s really hard to find where services are general information for Cornwall.

“And so, we thought, where can we get all the information together and link all of the other websites and information for Cornwall in one place? So, we’re raising money to put together a special website for Cornwall.”

The 2023 ‘Hear Our Voice’ report by Healthwatch helped shape the idea, highlighting the need to make dementia support more accessible and visible.

More Than £10,000 Raised So Far

With fundraising already passing the £10,000 mark, some of the money will also support local voluntary dementia groups, including music and walking sessions and support for younger people with early onset dementia.

“We’d like to raise some money to help them as well. So, lots of us have been out walking this summer,” said Allison.

She recently joined a group walk along the Camel Trail, alongside staff from the Trust and their families. The walk began from the Memory Café at the John Betjeman Centre in Wadebridge, which has been open every Saturday for 17 years.

Led by Tim Jones, Memory Café lead, the walk kicked off with a singalong before setting off towards Padstow. Some walkers even made the full round trip – over 10 miles.

📷Walkers on the Camel Trail raising money for dementia.

100 Miles in 100 Days

Among the walkers was Sarah Washer, matron at Launceston Community Hospital and Stratton Community Hospital.

Joined by her dog Chester, Sarah has already walked more than 50 miles towards her personal target of 100 miles in 100 days.

“Dr Allison Hibbert has encouraged a few of us to take on a challenge, to raise money and awareness for dementia.

“I have a passion for dementia care in our community hospitals. We have a lot of patients who are living with dementia.

“It’s important that we get that right. They have the right care, at the right place, at the right time. So, raising this type of awareness helps us to be able to do that.”

Marathon Efforts

Also joining the Camel Trail walk was Paul Cadger, Cornwall’s dementia and education lead, who runs 15 miles most weekends and is currently preparing for the Southampton Marathon.

“You do not just talk the talk; you walk the walk.

“We’re trying to raise money to get lots of support for services that are struggling with funding at the moment.

“There’s lots of evidence to say these things really help people to live a good quality life for the best they can with a horrible diagnosis like dementia.”

Supporting Those Caring for Loved Ones

Nicola Thompson, a Parkinson’s specialist practitioner, also took part alongside her husband Patrick, who lives with Lewy Body dementia.

“It is something a lot of people, even GPs, haven’t heard of.

“There are really good services and we’ve been supported by the admiral nurse service that comes through Dementia UK.

“But it’s finding all of these people who can support. That’s the tricky bit when you have dementia yourself or you’re supporting someone and you’re still working as well. Time is really precious.