This June the UK’s leading dementia charity, Alzheimer’s Society, releases a new photography series to launch its 2025 Forget Me Not Appeal which aims to end the devastation caused by dementia – the UK’s biggest killer, with nearly one million people in the UK and more than 87,300 in London living with the condition.
Alzheimer’s Society Ambassadors Anna Richardson, Gareth-Locke-Locke and Meera Syal – who all have personal experience of dementia – feature in a powerful and intimate series of images – Unforgettable Frames.
Sharing intimate photos of their lives before dementia devastated their families, and their personal reasons for wearing a Forget Me Not badge, the celebrities alongside Alzheimer’s Society are encouraging people across London to donate and receive a Forget me Not badge to support the appeal throughout June.
Donations can be made in more than 400 Morrisons stores across the UK during 2-8 June, as the supermarkets host Forget Me Not collection points for customers to receive their badges.
Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador and TV personality, Gareth Locke-Locke, shared a childhood photo of his mum Margaret, with him and his brother. Margaret was diagnosed with early-onset dementia at the age of 54. Gareth said:
“My mum was an amazing mother and would do anything for us. Dementia is devastating and can be very isolating, both for the individual and their loved ones. I wear my Forget Me Not to show people that they’re not alone and that we’ll face this together.”
Fiona McLeod who is an Alzheimer’s Society Community Development Coordinator working in South London, whose father is living with dementia; shares why she wears her badge, in recognition and solidarity with everyone affected by dementia.
“My father was a very proud man who came to the UK when he was just nine and over the years acquired the most brilliant cockney accent and yet still held proudly to his Jamaican roots. Watching him living with dementia is so hard for all of us who knew him before dementia. It is a bittersweet thing to wear my badge because of the devastation dementia causes in people’s lives.
I think of the classic reggae John Holt song, ‘Stick by me and I will stick by you’ when I wear my badge for my dad. We need to stick by people with dementia and this is a great way to do that. I see the person with dementia as the centre of the flower and the petals surrounding it as all those who are affected. It is loaded with sadness but is a really, really nice way of holding those people you love who are impacted close to you. It’s really like wearing your heart on your sleeve, for them and everyone around them who might be struggling too.”
Every donation to the Forget Me Not Appeal helps fund crucial Alzheimer’s Society services and groundbreaking dementia research. In 2023/24, the charity’s Dementia Support Line answered nearly 60,000 calls from those in need.
A donation of £10 could help fund research to end the devastation caused by dementia, £20 could pay for two weeks of essential Companion Calls for someone affected by dementia, while £50 could help families access a Dementia Adviser providing essential support.
Thousands of Alzheimer’s Society volunteers will be in Morrisons stores across the UK welcoming people as they collect their Forget Me Not badge.
David Scott, Director of Corporate Affairs at Morrisons said: “We are delighted to be supporting Alzheimer’s Society’s Forget Me Not Appeal in June for the third year in a row. Dementia touches the lives of many of our colleagues and customers. We will be hosting volunteer collections across our supermarkets and selling Forget Me Not badges to raise income and awareness, spark conversations and show solidarity with those living with dementia.”
People across London can also support by hosting a fundraising Forget Me Not Tea Party throughout June to raise money for people living with dementia or receive their badge by donating at alzheimers.org.uk/forgetmenotappeal
