Brenda Franke, 56, from Bromsgrove is taking part in Alzheimer’s Society’s Memory Walk in Sutton Park, Birmingham, to remember her mother, raise awareness about dementia and money to combat the condition.

She will  join a current total of 4,000 supporters already registered to take part in the Birmingham Memory Walk, which will be on 16 September. People can register for Memory Walk as individuals or as a team. The walk will take place over two distances with options as to undertaking a 3.5 km or 5.5 km route.

Brenda said: “My beloved Mum had Alzheimer’s. Sadly she died in 2013, after becoming ill following a short time in a Care Home where her condition was managed badly. Mum was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about 4 years prior to her death. She became very forgetful and kept repeating herself. She suffered mood swings and became agitated at times.  As the condition worsened over time so did her memory and mood swings. One morning, whilst Dad was asleep, Mum left the house wearing two skirts two blouses slippers but no tights (she always wore her tights) and walked into town with the dog (not on a lead) crossing a number of busy roads on the way. We were all out searching for her in a panic and the Police were involved.  A neighbour spotted her and brought her home to our enormous relief. That was an awful time.

“I do hope and pray that more money is put into research to try and find a cure for this awful disease.  Staff in Care Homes, Nursing Homes and hospitals so need to be better trained to deal with dementia patients and to give them the dignity and respect they deserve. Tighter regulation of Care Homes and Carers is needed to ensure they are providing the best care possible to people with dementia.

“I will be supporting Alzheimer’s Society in its efforts to raise awareness and funds.  I am signed up for the Memory Walk at Sutton Park in September and am walking with my sisters (we are called Sister Act) in memory of our lovely Mum who we miss every day more and more.  I hope to carry on fundraising in the future.”

More than 26,000 people over-65 in Birmingham and the Black Country are estimated to be living with dementia and last year’s event at the smaller location of Cannon Hill Park was attended by 5000 people, raising more than £322,000 to help people living with the condition.

Janice Le Tellier, Alzheimer’s Society Operations Manager for Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry and Warwickshire said: “Dementia is set to be the 21st century’s biggest killer. We are calling on family, friends – and furry four-legged supporters – to unite against dementia this autumn. Dementia devastates lives. Walk with us at Memory Walk and dementia won’t win. Every pound raised will help Alzheimer’s Society provide information and support, improve care, fund research and create lasting change for people affected by dementia. Alzheimer’s Society is urgently calling on people to register now at memorywalk.org.uk and unite against dementia.”

The majority of adults in the West Midlands are leaving their financial and health-related affairs to chance according to Co-op Legal Services, as four in five people (82%) don’t have a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in place*.

A Lasting Power Attorney is the legal document that allows a trusted person to manage an individual’s affairs in the event they lose mental capacity. Yet almost a third of adults living in the region (27%) don’t know what an LPA is and a further 58% were unaware that there are two different types: one covering property and financial affairs and one to cover health and welfare wishes, including where you’d like to live and any personal medical wishes.

Putting a Lasting Power of Attorney in place is often considered to be of as much importance as drawing up a Will, yet research finds that over half (52%) of adults in the West Midlands have made a Will in comparison to just 18% with an LPA in place. With one person developing dementia every three minutes in the UK it’s expected that over 1 million people will have the disease by 2025, emphasising the significant importance of an LPA**.

James Antoniou, Head of Wills at Co-op explains: “The findings highlight that vast numbers of people are unaware that there is no automatic right for a next of kin to have authority over an individual’s affairs. If an LPA is not in place and a person becomes unable to make decisions, it can lead to a long and expensive process that involves applying to Court.

‘’At Co-op Legal Services, we advise that an LPA is put into place at the same time as a Will. Both are crucial parts of later life planning and can help to alleviate stress and worry for loved ones further down the line.’’

As well as the option to solely take out a Lasting Power of Attorney, Co-op also offers a range of Estate Planning Packages as part of its #AWill2TackleCancer campaign to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. These include a professionally drafted Will and Lasting Power of Attorney for a discounted price, compared to when bought individually. With every #AWill2TackleCancer Estate Planning package sold, Co-op will pay 10% of its fee (excluding VAT) to Cancer Research UK

Love was in the air at Wolverhampton’s beautiful Bantock House Museum and Park when it hosted its first ever wedding on Saturday – for a couple who live right next to the popular attraction.

Corrinne Wilde and Steven Carpenter are the first to use the house, situated off Finchfield Road, as a wedding venue.

The couple, who have five children and seven grandchildren between them, married in the Arts and Crafts-inspired Drawing Room in front of 35 guests.

Corrinne’s proud daughter, Sarah May, said: “We couldn’t believe this was the first wedding at Bantock House, it is such a lovely place, we assumed other people would have already used it as a wedding venue.

“Mum and Steve live in Broad Lane, right by the house, it’s almost a home from home for them. They walk on the park most days and are always taking their grandchildren there so it was an obvious choice for their wedding day.”

Bantock House Museum is a Grade II listed building, set in 48 acres of lovely parkland. It was the home of Thomas and Mary Bantock first and then their son and his wife, Baldwin and Kitty Bantock, who generously gave it to the people of Wolverhampton in 1938.

Much of the Edwardian house interior is influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement.

Sarah added: “After mum was widowed 12 years ago she met Steve, who was divorced, and they moved to their apartment overlooking Bantock Park, so it is a very special place. Following the ceremony, they travelled to the Mount Tavern, in Penn Road, where they first met, to celebrate with more friends and family.”

City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor John Reynolds, said: “Congratulations to Corrinne and Steve, we wish them lots of happiness. Bantock House is a lovely place and the perfect venue for an intimate family wedding.”

A Wolverhampton councillor and his wife have handed over a cheque for over £8,000 to the hospital which saved their baby son's life after completing two charity fundraisers.

Bushbury North Councillor Ian Angus completed the Stafford Half Marathon in March, while his wife Sandi tackled her first ever 10km run in Birmingham a month later.

And in doing so they have raised vital funds for the Cardiac Unit at Birmingham Children's Hospital, which performed life-saving open heart surgery on their son Joshua when he was barely 10 weeks old.

The pair presented a cheque for £8,235.89 to the hospital last month and Councillor Angus said: “We'd like to thank everyone who contributed to our fundraising efforts for Birmingham Children's Hospital – it’s a very special place which saved our little boy's life.

"The fundraising total far exceeded our expectations and we've been truly overwhelmed by people's kindness and generosity."

When Joshua was just four days old, Ian and Sandi were given the devastating news that he had a life-threating congenital heart defect that would require open heart surgery to address.

Aged just 10 weeks, he underwent a successful five-hour procedure at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Councillor Angus said: "It was the toughest day of our lives but the care he received was exceptional and we now have a beautiful, bonny, healthy little boy who has every chance – if I get my way – of playing for Wolves in the Premiership one day.”

Sandi said: “We are so fortunate to have this wonderful, world-class health service on our doorstep. We wanted to give something back and have been fundraising throughout the year for the Cardiac Unit."

Their fundraising efforts were supported by Councillor Angus' brother Jamie and colleagues from the City of Wolverhampton Council who also took part in the Stafford Half Marathon, including Head of Planning Stephen Alexander, Voluntary Sector Coordinator Martha Cummings, Head of the Healthier Place service Richard Welch and Councillor Paul Sweet, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing.

Thousands of people are today being called on to unite against dementia by signing up for Alzheimer’s Society’s Birmingham Memory Walk in Sutton Park.

A total of 3,417 supporters have already registered to take part in the Birmingham Memory Walk, which will be on 16 September. People can register for Memory Walk as individuals or as a team. The walk will take place over two distances with options as to undertaking a 3.5 km or 5.5 km route.

More than 26,000 people over-65 in Birmingham and the Black Country are estimated to be living with dementia and last year’s event at the smaller location of Cannon Hill Park was attended by 5000 people, raising more than £322,000 to help people living with the condition.

Janice Le Tellier, Alzheimer’s Society Operations Manager for Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry and Warwickshire said: “Dementia is set to be the 21st century’s biggest killer. We are calling on family, friends – and furry four-legged supporters – to unite against dementia this autumn. Dementia devastates lives. Walk with us at Memory Walk and dementia won’t win. Every pound raised will help Alzheimer’s Society provide information and support, improve care, fund research and create lasting change for people affected by dementia. Alzheimer’s Society is urgently calling on people to register now at memorywalk.org.uk and unite against dementia.”

Over 85 per cent of pet owners in the West Midlands believe having a dog can help to bring stress levels down. In fact, research, conducted by leading manufacturer of premium pet supplements Lintbells, has found that on average dog owners in the West Midlands are less stressed and happier in life because of their pet.

With almost a quarter of households* in the UK now owning a dog the study found that dog owners are happier, more satisfied at work and more sociable than people without a pooch. In fact over 80 per cent of people in the West Midlands now consider their dog to be an integral part of their family.

The national study, of 1,000 dog owners and 1,000 adults without a dog, found 80 per cent with a dog are ‘very happy’ or ‘happy’ with their life overall, compared to just 70 per cent of people without a four-legged friend.

In addition the research found that people with no dog spend longer watching TV and less time outdoors. In fact, it was discovered people without a pooch watch 14 hours more TV a month, averaging an extra 3.5 hours per week, than those with a four-legged friend.

Over 87 per cent of dog owners in the West Midlands put their general health at average and above average levels than those who don’t have a dog. Unsurprisingly, nationally dog owners spend an hour and 12 minutes longer outdoors each week than those without a dog. Dog owners’ hobbies are also more likely to be active and outdoor pursuits, with dog owners being bigger fans of cycling, going for walks and gardening.

The survey also found that over a third of dog owners in the West Midlands say their dog has their own spot on the sofa.

Those without a dog are more likely to enjoy reading, listening to music and watching TV. And while non-dog owners are most likely to opt for a quiet night at home alone, dog owners prefer a more social evening in with friends or a night at the pub. Dog owners are also the biggest social media users with 80 per cent spending some time on social media each day compared to just 71 of non-dog owners.

John Davies, co-founder of Lintbells said: “The results of this survey highlight the many benefits of owning a dog, from health to happiness.  Dogs are amazing companions, offering their owners much more than just a wag of their tail in the morning. They are often the first to greet anyone arriving home, they inspire us to spend more time outdoors and offer unconditional love to their owners. That said we owe it to them to take care of their needs – even those we can’t see. Natural supplements can aid your dog with their mobility, skin irritations, digestion and anxiety, helping them to be happy for longer.”