Local charity RICE, the Research Institute for the Care of Older People, has said that early donations have seen its latest appeal already raise £80,000.
Cara Charles-Barks, CEO at RUH, Dr Tomas Welsh, Research & Medical Director and Melissa Hillier, CEO at RICE
The Delivering Healthy Ageing – President’s Appeal aims to raise £200,000 to fund a dementia research programme and support the growth of RICE’s clinical and research capability into new areas of age-related illnesses.
The appeal’s launch event featured speeches from the Mayor of Bath, Dr Tomas Welsh, Research and Medical Director at RICE, Linda Mansell, wife of RICE patient, Roger Mansell and Professor Roy Jones, President at RICE who announced two donations on the night.
The early appeal donations were a grant for £75,000 contributed by late author Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Foundation, and £5,000 donated by an individual supporter of the charity.
Other guests at the launch included patients, carers, staff and trustees from RICE, Cara Charles-Barks, CEO of the Royal United Hospital, along with other senior staff.
Other attendees included Age UK, Bath Mind, The Peggy Dodd Centre, Quartet Community Foundation and 3SG.
Research activity at RICE focuses on improving three areas of health for older people; Thinking Clearly, Moving Well and Staying Strong.
RICE’s aim is to fight for a cure for dementia and the appeal will help fund research into Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, Parkinson’s disease and the decline of bone and muscle health which impacts greatly on the wellbeing of older people and their families.
According to the Alzheimer’s Society, only £90 per patient is spent on dementia research per year despite the total annual cost of dementia to the UK reaching £26 billion.
To support RICE’s appeal, visit https://www.rice.org.uk/support-us/.
Dr Tomas Welsh, Research and Medical Director at RICE said: “We are thrilled that the appeal has had a strong start and we hope to build on this early success over the months ahead to reach our target of £200,000.
“By 2030, it is sadly expected that over 1 million people will have dementia so it is vital that we learn about the challenges facing families and find the best treatments to meet their needs.
“This ongoing appeal will enable us to grow our research programme and allow the charity to improve care and support for those affected by dementia and other conditions of older age.”
Cara Charles-Barks added: “I am delighted to support the launch of this appeal as we are so fortunate to have RICE based in Bath with its internationally-renowned research institute and memory clinic.
“The RICE Centre does an excellent job of supporting people in the Bath area facing age-related challenges such as dementia and I’m excited to hear RICE’s plans to expand its research into new areas such as Parkinson’s.
“I’d like to thank Professor Roy Jones for his valuable contribution to dementia care in Bath and beyond and to lend our support to Dr Tomas Welsh and his team at RICE as they continue to build on this outstanding legacy. Good luck for a successful appeal.”
In a speech, The Mayor of Bath, Councillor Rob Appleyard said: “The work at RICE resonates with me as I am a trustee of a local dementia charity and I believe it’s important to raise awareness of how people are living with these challenging diseases.
“Professor Roy Jones, who joined RICE in 1985, should be thrilled with the progress that the charity has made in the last 35 years.
“Without local people supporting the research at RICE we wouldn’t understand as much about dementia support, care and treatment. On behalf of the city, I thank the team at RICE for all the work they do, the charity is a little gem in Bath, of which we are extremely proud.
“I hope this Appeal will raise the profile of RICE so more people understand the need for dementia research and the care provided by RICE’s Memory Clinic.”
As well as researching treatments for dementia, RICE hosts the NHS Memory Clinic for Bath and North East Somerset which receives referrals from GPs, assesses patient memory and provides treatment and medication for dementia.
The RICE Centre also runs courses for carers and patients and The Memory Clinic has cared for over 12,000 local people and supported their families.
