Compass Group UK & Ireland Healthcare team raise staggering £50,000 for charity
Compass Group UK & Ireland’s healthcare sector, part of the largest food services provider in the UK, has raised a staggering £50,000 in seven months for the Alzheimer’s Society. The money has been raised as part of its pledge to fund essential research into ‘dysphagia’ (difficulties in eating, drinking, and swallowing) in people living with dementia in a residential care setting. The healthcare team are continuing with its fundraising support towards the £151,000 required to fund this research.
Lindsay Collins, an Alzheimer’s Society Clinical Fellow at the University of Bradford, is leading the research to better understand how and why eating and drinking can be disrupted in people with dementia. Her findings will help healthcare professionals to provide better care for people with dysphagia and dementia, helping to improve their enjoyment of eating and drinking - and ultimately their quality of life.
The support for Alzheimer’s Society was first announced during Compass Group’s Healthcare Conference in May 2015. A charity penalty shootout with Compass Group’s Managing Director Dennis Hogan and the Managing Director of Healthcare Steve Cenci in goal raised a substantial £2,500.
Other successful fundraising activities include a Christmas Jumper Day held by the Healthcare Retail team which raised over £25,000. This is in addition to £2084 raised in a series of fundraising activities organised by Housing and Care 21 sites in Kent.
The Compass Healthcare team is also supporting the charity’s Dementia Friends initiative. Over 1,000 staff have signed up to become Dementia Friends to gain a better understanding of dementia and spread awareness. Many of them have also become Dementia Friends Champions, which will enable them to share their learning with others and make a positive difference to people living with dementia in their communities.
Steve Cenci, Managing Director of Healthcare and Compass Group UK & Ireland, said:
“We are pleased to be supporting Alzheimer’s Society in their critical research on the effects of dementia on eating and drinking. This unique study will provide recommendations to enable care professionals and families to ensure that people living with dementia and dysphagia can receive better care and have a better quality of life.
“It is a great achievement to have raised £50,000 in such a short time and we remain focused on raising even more funds to ensure this important research can be completed.”
Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Society said:
“We are delighted that the Compass Group healthcare team has raised an incredible £50,000 in just seven months for Alzheimer’s Society. The money raised will, through the care research we fund, contribute to helping thousands of people living with dementia who are affected by dysphagia.
“Compass employees have shown unwavering enthusiasm and dedication in their fundraising efforts, and we are extremely grateful for their support in our fight against dementia.”
This first phase of fundraising took place between May - December 2015.
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For more information contact:
UK Communications Team
Compass Group UK & Ireland
Uk.communications@compass-group.co.uk
01895 554 999
