Be inspired by others’ fundraising

We are always amazed at how far people will go to support our work. Whether it’s £5 from a children’s cake sale or £5,000 from a charity ball, every donation makes a huge difference and helps support our vital services.

Hugo Cohn took on the Thames Meander Marathon in November last year to raise funds for our Bromley Dementia Support Hub after it supported the mother of his good friend Becky.

He says: “The Dementia Hub was a massive support to Becky,  whose mother was sadly diagnosed with dementia at a young age. Having had family members suffer from dementia myself, it has always been a cause close to my heart and it was an honour to raise money for a local charity who had helped my friend and her family so much.”

Hugo decided running a marathon was the ideal way to raise funds after getting bitten by the running bug during lockdown. He says: “I’ve run fairly casually for a few years, but during lockdown I found it a great way to decompress and get some much needed fresh air. Running has done wonders for my mental health and I always say to myself ‘you always feel better after a run’ as way to force myself out the door.”

Buoyed up by the support he had on the day, Hugo completed the event in an impressive three hours and 52 minutes. “I definitely had the biggest crowd at the race (Hugo’s supporters are pictured below) and they kept me going when I was really struggling towards the end.”

Following his sterling effort, Hugo enjoyed a pub meal with friends and family, then a spa trip the following weekend with his wife.

He is deeply grateful to everyone who supported him, especially those who gave their support on the day.

“I’d like to say a huge thanks to everyone who donated to such a worthy cause, and to those who got up early on a cold November morning to support me. Everyone I’ve spoken to had their own story of how dementia has affected their life so it was great to be able to go out there and raise money that will help people locally who have to live with the effects of dementia.

“BLG Mind is such a fantastic organisation that helps so many people on a local level. I’ve seen how they helped a very close friend of mine and her family when they were going through an incredibly difficult and upsetting situation. The way they create such a personal relationship with the community they support is amazing to see and this is so important as the effect of Covid and lockdowns is still having an impact of people’s feeling of isolation.

“Raising money for BLG Mind will help them to go out and support so many other people.”

Hugo raised £1,665 which, with match-funding from his company, brought in a fantastic £3,330 in total for the Bromley Dementia Hub.

Natalie Payne is a volunteer who has masterminded a successful annual charity ball in aid of BLG Mind three years running, raising around £5,000 at each event.