Play darts to boost fight against dementia

Adam Judd is calling on people in the area to come along to Newtown Sports and Social Club in Bognor to battle it out for a good cause.

Those interested in taking part simply have to arrive on the day between 11am and midday. Registration costs £5 with all proceeds going to the charity.

Judd says you don’t need to be an expert to come along.

The 23-year-old is raising funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK because his nan passed away from Alzheimer’s, and now his grandad has dementia too.

He said: “We knew about four years before nan’s passing that there was something wrong, because she started to repeat herself quite a lot and started forgetting things. Eventually it hit her really hard and she started to deteriorate.

“She was one of the most down to earth people you could ever meet. She was always there for you. That was what we loved about her. She always wanted to treat the whole family well. She was a fighter, and that’s how I try to remember her.”

Sadly, Adam’s grandfather was diagnosed with dementia shortly after his wife, and recently moved into a care home full time as his needs could no longer be met at home.

“When grandad moved into the care home it was a bit of a relief, because his condition was getting worse and he was having trouble standing up. He is still a smiley and happy person, but sometimes he forgets that my nan has passed away and thinks she’s just gone out with her friends.

“He’s at the point now where he’s starting to get weaker, and that’s quite hard to see.”

Judd decided to run the Alzheimer’s Research UK Darts Open event after his cousin ran the London Marathon for the charity.

“It’s terrifying to me to think of having dementia. I want us to get to the point where we can stop it from happening to other people. We need to put an end to this illness.”

The darts day follows on from a similar event last year, which helped him raise almost £500 for dementia research. He hopes this year will be bigger and better.

“Darts is such a sociable sport. It’s a great way to have a laugh, and by taking part in the event, you can also help to raise money for a really important cause.

“You don’t have to be a professional darts player to come along – anybody who enjoys the sport is welcome. The day is there for people to have fun, do something sociable, and raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.”

Georgi Welch, regional fundraising officer for the south east at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We would like to thank Adam for putting on this amazing event to help raise funds for research into dementia.”