Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leading dementia research charity, dedicated to finding a cure for a condition that affects nearly one million people in the UK.
If nothing changes, one in two of us will be directly affected by dementia – we will either develop it ourselves, care for someone with it, or both. That’s half of the people employed by the rail industry, rail customers, and the communities rail serves.
Why your help matters
Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer, accounting for more than one in ten of all deaths worldwide. Alzheimer’s Research UK exists to change that. Your support through Railway 200 will help the charity revolutionise the way dementia is treated, diagnosed, and prevented. Stand with us, for a cure for dementia.
Donate to the Railway 200 charity partners on JustGiving
Stuart’s railway memories
Stuart Lambie, an Alzheimer’s Research UK supporter, has a special connection to the railway. His father, Ian, who had Alzheimer’s disease, was born and raised in Glasgow and worked for British Railways in the 1950s and 60s. These years played a special role during Stuart’s childhood.
“Dad was always very proud of the time he spent working for British Railways, which started when he worked in the ticket office at Kennishead after leaving school. After his service in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, dad returned to the railway and worked at the central office in Glasgow. I remember standing at our living room window as a child, waiting for him to walk up the street on his way home. I also vividly remember going on family holidays by train from Glasgow. Dad would take me out onto the platform at Crewe station and together we’d watch the steam engine be unhitched and the diesel engine take over for the rest of the journey.
“So many memories. But sadly, special memories like these are lost to dementia. Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2011 and passed away in 2020. This had a devastating effect on our family, particularly for my mum who had been his full-time carer at home in Glasgow for almost nine years before he went into residential care.”
Having seen the heartbreak of his dad’s diagnosis, Stuart has been supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK and its efforts to accelerate progress towards a cure for dementia. He has also been doing what he can to reduce his own risk of developing the condition and took up long-distance running following Ian’s diagnosis.
“My son, Jamie, took part in the 2018 London Marathon, and this inspired me to start running to help look after my own health. Dad had always been a keen runner, even well into his 80s, so this felt like a way to connect with him, too. I joined my local parkrun in 2018 and saw Alzheimer’s Research UK as the official charity partner. Since then, I’ve taken on multiple events for the charity, including the London and Paris marathons. I’m so proud to have helped raise funds and awareness for the work they’re doing to change lives.
“I support the charity’s vital work, so other families don’t have to go through the same heartache as ours and am delighted to see Railway 200 standing with Alzheimer’s Research UK, for a cure.”