Why I’m asking everyone to have a cuppa for Dementia UK - Yorkshire Post Letters

I am writing to ask your readers to make Time for a Cuppa for Dementia UK – the dementia specialist nursing charity – so we can continue to provide vital support to families facing dementia.

By the time you’ve boiled your kettle, another person will have developed dementia. It’s a huge and growing health crisis – one in two of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime yet families are not getting the support they so urgently need.

At Dementia UK, we believe every family affected by dementia should have the support of a dementia specialist Admiral Nurse – but right now, we can’t reach everyone who needs us.

That’s why this May we’re encouraging people across the nation to pour a cuppa for our largest annual fundraiser to raise crucial funds to help us recruit more Admiral Nurses.

Dementia doesn’t just impact the person with the diagnosis – it affects everyone around them. Caring for someone with dementia can be incredibly challenging, both physically and emotionally.

In January 2025, Dementia UK commissioned a survey of 1,000 people in the UK who care for or have cared for a person living with dementia. 9 in 10 found that the transition from family member to full-time carer, impacted their own mental health and four in ten feel or felt guilty about using care services.

But it’s important they know they’re not alone. Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurses offer life-changing support and advice to the whole family, whenever it’s needed.

They work on our free national Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline, in our face-to-face and virtual clinics, and in the community, in GP practices, hospitals and care homes.

We have an ambitious target of reaching a total of 1,000 Admiral Nurses by 2030 to provide essential support and advice to families living with dementia across the country. But to fund these vital nursing posts, we rely on donations from the public, which is where making Time for a Cuppa comes in.

This year, Time for a Cuppa is proudly sponsored by Nationwide Building Society. We’re coming together to make, bake and brew to raise funds for families facing dementia and you can do the same.

Time for a Cuppa week will take place from May 1 to 8, but people can host their own event at any point in the year. Whether you invite friends round to your house for a cuppa or put on an event at work, you can help us ensure that no family faces dementia alone.

Sign up for your free Time for a Cuppa fundraising pack at dementiauk.org/timeforacuppa

If you need advice or support on living with dementia, contact Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline on 0800 888 6678 or email [email protected]