David Ruffley MP, Patron of the West Suffolk Branch of the Alzheimer's Society, will be the guest speaker at their Annual Open Meeting at 6.30pm on Friday, 11 September. The meeting will be held at Glastonbury Court Residential Home, Glastonbury Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 2EX.

The West Suffolk Alzheimer's Society Branch provides local outreach services including one to one visits, information and support group activities. They support all people affected by dementia- not only people with dementia, but also their families and carers.

•There are 700,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to one million by 2025.

•The financial cost of dementia to the UK is over £17 billion a year.

•Family carers of people with dementia save the UK over £6 billion a year.

•Two thirds of people with dementia live in the community while one third live in a care home.

David said: 'The West Suffolk Branch of the Alzheimer's Society does excellent work in our community and as their Patron I am delighted to support and highlight that work.

'People with dementia and their carers deserve a better deal, so I support their campaign to make dementia a higher priority. We need to change attitudes and rid dementia sufferers of the stigma that all too often is attached to this disease.

'Family carers of people with dementia save the UK over £6 billion a year. The Alzheimer's Society plays a huge role in supporting carers who look after their loved ones in their own home. Many of these carers are elderly and without this vital support many more dementia sufferers would be unable to remain at home.'

The West Suffolk Branch of the Alzheimer's Society can be contacted at:

http://alzheimers.org.uk/BranchWebsites/westsuffolk/

Risbygate Centre

90 Risbygate Street

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 3AA

Tel: 01284 766433