An Important Message From Andrew Scheuber At the UK Alzheimer's Research Trust:

For UK residents:

Could you communicate this message via your blog(s)? We’re trying to promote a motion in Parliament. It could be a nice way for UK-based fans to help promote the wider message of dementia research funding without having to part with their cash. Please reword as you see fit…

If you’re a UK citizen, please write a letter to your MP urging him or her to sign EDM no. 1337 http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=35577&SESSION=891

The House of Commons motion is called TERRY PRATCHETT AND ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH FUNDING and it reads:

That this House applauds Terry Pratchett, who is donating $1 million to the Alzheimer's Research Trust; notes that there are 700,000 people with dementia in the UK, a number forecast to double within a generation; notes that for every person with Alzheimer's, £11 is spent each year on UK research compared with £289 for each cancer patient; supports the work of the UK's leading scientists, who recently met at the Alzheimer's Research Trust's Network Conference in Bristol, in researching better treatments and possible cures for dementia; welcomes the campaign by Terry Pratchett and the Alzheimer's Research Trust to increase funding and promote further research into the diagnosis, treatment and a possible cure for Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

Your MP’s address is: The House of Commons, Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA.

If you don’t know who your MP is, go to www.theyworkforyou.com and type in your postcode.

Writing a real letter tends to be most effective, but if you’d prefer to do things electronically go to www.writetothem.com

Use your own words; it doesn’t have to be long. Just a message asking the MP to sign EDM 1337 would suffice. If you want ideas on what else you could write, check out http://www.alzheimers-research.org.uk/info/statistics/ or see what Terry Pratchett has to say about dementia research funding http://www.alzheimers-research.org.uk/news/article.php?type=News&id=205

A few days after sending your letter, if you have a spare few minutes, call the Parliamentary switchboard on 020 7219 3000 and ask for your MP’s office. Check that your letter has been received, ask if the MP will sign EDM 1337, and explain why you’re concerned about the underfunding of dementia research. Please be extremely polite to the researcher or secretary; they are overworked, underpaid and dedicated to helping constitutents.

I might email a few other bloggers too, see if it can get dugg highly or something.

Thanks a lot as ever!

Andrew Scheuber

Press and Public Affairs Officer

Alzheimer's Research Trust, the UK's leading research charity for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

Registered charity no. 1077089

The Stables, Station Road, Gt Shelford, Cambridge CB22 5LR

Switchboard: 01223 843899 Press office: 01223 843304 Fax: 01223 843325 Mobile: 07748 272171
http://www.alzheimers-research.org.uk

PS from Pat: Please spread this message far and wide. It's one more way we can help provide more funding for Alzheimer's research!