Alzheimer’s Society’s first ever Cupcake Day pop up experience has been embarking on a mini tour of the UK ahead of Cupcake Day on Thursday 14 June. Starting its journey in Newcastle, it visited Birmingham on Thursday 7th June.
The pop up was situated in Birmingham city centre on Edgbaston Street between the Bullring and Markets. Alzheimer’s Society staff were distributing free Cupcakes to the public and talking to them about dementia. Hundreds of Cupcakes were handed out to people who were encouraged to get involved in Cupcake Day and join the fight against dementia.
Anne-Marie Heeney from Birmingham said: “It’s so great to see something like this where it’s so visual and can start a conversation about dementia. I think that conversations about dementia don’t have to be depressing.”
People were able to enjoy free hand-finished cupcakes, supplied by The Cake Crew, get creative at a special ‘Glam Your Cupcake’ station and speak with Dementia Advisers about any concerns they might have.
Carol Bowsher, Dementia Adviser for Alzheimer’s Society was in attendance. She said: “I spoke with a woman who was worried about her mother. She wasn’t sure about what sort of symptoms she should be looking for and we discussed that perhaps a general health check could be beneficial.”
Alzheimer’s Society’s Cupcake Day raises funds to support people affected by dementia. Recently, Alzheimer’s Society joined forces with Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Government to fund the UK’s first ever Dementia Research Institute.
Emma Dowler, Community Fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society said: “We have had a fantastic time handing out Cupcakes to the public to celebrate the oncoming Cupcake Day. It’s great to see Birmingham uniting against dementia.”
In the UK, there are 850,000 people living with dementia and more than 10,000 people live with the condition in Birmingham and Solihull. It is estimated that dementia costs the UK economy over £26 billion per year. Dementia is now the UK’s biggest killer, with someone developing it every three minutes.. Each cupcake will help Alzheimer’s Society find a cure, improve care and offer help and understanding for people affected.
Simon Tregunna, visiting Birmingham from Cornwall, stopped to talk at the Cupcake Day experience. He said: “This Cupcake Day experience is a good idea and raises awareness. My mother-in-law has become more forgetful recently and we are worried about her memory. Where I’m from, it’s bit of a wait to see a GP, it’s sketchy.”
Alzheimer’s Society is urging everyone to unite against dementia with their families, friends and colleagues, by baking or buying cupcakes to raise vital funds. People can celebrate Cupcake Day on 14 June or mark the occasion another time in the month. Alzheimer’s Society welcomes everyone in uniting against dementia by signing up for Cupcake Day at www.cupcakeday.org.uk
