Supporting BRACE – £5,000 from Wards Solicitors to help fund vital medical research
What a way to mark a fantastic partnership - handing over a cheque for £5,000 to BRACE, Wards Solicitors' charity of the year.
Ever since Wards Solicitors chose to support BRACE, a Bristol-based charity which funds vital medical research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's, staff across all 11 offices have been busy working hard to raise money.
Pioneering research
Initiatives BRACE have helped fund include:
- Launching a ground-breaking trial that hopes to discover if a drug commonly used to treat high blood pressure could slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease;
- Establishing the 'Brain Bank' at Southmead Hospital, with tissue donations from both healthy people and dementia sufferers, which are then made available to researchers worldwide in collaborative projects;
- Developing an important assessment tool, known as the Bristol Activities of Daily Living Scale (BADLS), which is used worldwide to assist in the diagnosis of dementia.
- Aiding research with a brand new pilot study into possible links between oral hygiene and the progression of dementia at the University of Bristol.
Dog walks and cake sales
Wards Solicitors staff have taken part in everything from sponsored dog walks and Christmas jumper days to cake sales and Bristol's annual Dragon Boat Festival, in which teams took part dressed as characters from the sixties cartoon series, Wacky Races.
Running, hiking and bike rides
Other worthy highlights include completing the demanding Nailsea 20K Challenge and cycling around all 11 of the Wards Solicitors offices in a ride covering 111 miles in the firm's 111th year of business as well as a free legal workshop, in which Wards Solicitors got together with BRACE to explain to members of the public the importance of setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney.
Jenny Pierce, Head of Wills, Probate and Mental Capacity at Wards Solicitors, said: "It's been a great year and we have all thoroughly enjoyed getting involved to support BRACE, a charity which plays such an important role in developing research into treatments, and ultimately a cure, for Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia."
Wards Solicitors Centenary Fund
All the money raised for BRACE will come from The Wards Solicitors Centenary Fund set up over a decade ago to commemorate the firm's 100th birthday and specifically to support local causes. The Charitable Fund is administered by Quartet Community Foundation.
Successful partnership
Amanda Cole, head of engagement at BRACE, said: "On behalf of BRACE a big thank you to Jenny and all the teams at Wards Solicitors for your fantastic fundraising throughout 2017. Your efforts are really appreciated and this support is an important contribution to our funding of world class dementia research across Bristol and the South West. This was a very successful partnership for BRACE as we also had the opportunity to work together with Wards Solicitors on a joint public information event on coping with the costs of care."