Our impact

Thank you for making 2024 a milestone year. Together, we have what it takes to help us end the devastation caused by dementia. This year we took an important step towards that future.

A special thanks to our supporters

Your support for Alzheimer's Society has an extraordinary impact - none of the work we do would be possible without you.

A man in a white lab coat looks up from his microscope

A new horizon of hope for dementia treatments

This year was significant for people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease as MHRA (the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency) approved the drugs lecanemab and donanemab as safe and effective treatments for the disease, with Donanemab slowing thinking and memory deterioration by more than 20%

While neither drug has been recommend for use on the NHS, this is still a hugely positive breakthrough. We're on the right track to treatments.

What is donanemab?

A manifesto impossible to ignore

Nearly 18,000 supporters joined our rallying cry for the new Government to make dementia a priority. Our pledge called for:

  • An increase dementia diagnosis rates.
  • Accelerated work to get our healthcare systems ready for disease modifying treatments.
  • Delivery of a social care workforce strategy so people can easily access care when they need it.

Your collective action means the pressure is really on to make dementia a top priority. Thank you for raising your voices.

Our campaigns
A meeting of Alzheimer's Society staff promoting a political petition.

Somewhere to turn 7 days a week

A friendly voice at the end of a phone, a chat with someone who ‘gets it’ or advice from an expert can be the difference between hope and hopelessness. Over the last year, our supporters have enabled us to provide a staggering amount of support to people living with dementia and their families.

88,067 people have received support from the Support Line.
Over 94,000 people registered on our Dementia Support Forum.
Over 51,000 new Dementia Friends were created by Volunteer Dementia Friends Ambassadors.

Funding a new generation of dementia researchers

Thanks to our supporters, we’ve been able to commit £9 million to three new Doctoral Training Centres that will support dementia researchers at the start of their career. 

Right now, there is just one dementia researcher for every four cancer researchers. These training centres will help make sure the UK’s biggest killer is getting the focus and attention it demands. Over five years, around 90 students will be supported to enter dementia research. And crucially, they will work on building knowledge in areas that have been particularly underfunded.

Our Doctoral Training Centres
Doctor with patient

Raising funds and remembering loved ones

Our flagship Forget me not campaign raises vital funds, increasing awareness of how we can all play a role in helping people living with dementia to feel less alone. Here's what your support achieved in 2024:

The appeal raised over £1.4 million for pioneering research and much-needed support.
We sold over 55,000 forget me not pin badges in local shops and community spaces. 
Teaming up with the supermarket Morrisons, we recruited an incredible 1,139 volunteers.
two people trekking with coastline in background

Powering progress one step at a time

Trek26 is one of our most epic fundraising challenges, giving supporters the option of tackling either a 13 mile or 26 mile hike in an incredible location. This year, a grand total of ten treks took place in England and Wales, raising a remarkable £5.1 million! 

This makes our 2024 trek season our biggest to date – with 9,000 trekkers covering more than 180,000 miles between them. If you were one of this year’s trekkers, a huge congratulations on your achievement. 

Sign up for Trek26

Help us have an impact in 2025