Woman raises £36,000 for charity with dancing events

Jacqui Offen's father lived with Alzheimer's before passing away in 2021

A woman from Kent has raised more than £36,000 for charity by organising dancing events in tribute to her father.

Jacqui Offen's father lived with Alzheimer's before passing away in 2021.

He was diagnosed with the disease in 2012, prompting Ms Offen to begin her fundraising.

She said: "My dad was the first man I remember dancing with. I stood on his shiny shoes at a black tie event as a child and he whisked me around in a foxtrot."

One of Ms Offen's most successful dance events, held in Canterbury, raised £10,000 with more than 100 people attending.

She said: "For my dad, I wanted to do a little something to raise funds for the organisation that supports both the person affected and the families dealing with the ripples of dementia."

As well Alzheimer's, Mr Offen also had vascular dementia - a type of dementia caused by reduced blood flow to the brain. It's estimated to affect around 180,000 people in the UK, according to the NHS.

Ms Offen said she could see the signs of dementia in her father before he was officially diagnosed, saying it started as many as "seven or eight" years before his diagnosis.

She added: "Being able to spot the signs of dementia and react correctly is really important, understanding the help they need to keep them independent and active in the community is essential."

David Cohen, community fundraiser at Alzheimer’s Society, said: "We are so grateful for Jacqui’s commitment to raising funds for Alzheimer's Society."