Lifeways director raises more than £500 for Alzheimer’s Society in memory of late mum

A senior leader from one of the UK’s leading providers of supported living, residential care and mental health services has raised more than £500 for the Alzheimer’s Society by taking part in the Trek26 Eryri challenge.

Last month, Karen Jones, Managing Director of Residential Services at Lifeways, along with her sister and niece, completed a 13-mile trek through Eryri National Park - formerly known as Snowdonia - in memory of her late mum, who passed away from Alzheimer’s three years ago.

Together, the trio have nearly reached £1,000 in donations, with Karen’s individual fundraising total standing at £545 - just short of her £650 target.

Reflecting on her mum’s illness, Karen, from north Wales, spoke about the devastating impact Alzheimer’s had on her family, describing it as a cause very close to her heart. She also thanked her colleagues at Lifeways for their support while she and her sisters were caring for their mum, alongside district and Marie Curie nurses.

“It just strips away everything that you know about a person,” she said. “The research into it is showing it can be treatable, it can be identified early and the research just needs to continue to prevent people from going through that.”

Karen added: “Mum deteriorated, and I was allowed to vary my working patterns so I could support her, so I could be there when she needed me. Some families don’t have that - they don’t have an employer they can lean on.”

At the time, Karen was still based in an office, but said she was able to work remotely due to the circumstances.

“Essentially I was working from Mum’s home, but when things deteriorated, I was just able to let my manager know I needed to be offline for a little bit.”

While much of the country enjoyed a summer heatwave, Karen described the trek as “muggy and humid” with thick fog and drizzle.

“The walk was a strange one because normally they start quite brutally. This had six miles of relatively flat terrain, which lured us into a false sense of security,” she laughed.

Once the route became more challenging, the group stuck mostly to tracks and roads - though they felt “vertical at points.” Despite the tough climb, they reached the top and celebrated with some champagne while taking in the viewsWhen asked how they managed to push through, Karen said: “We had this thing - when it gets too much, we have to stop and admire the view.”

She acknowledged that it’s a difficult time to be fundraising given the cost-of-living crisis.

“We’re asking people to donate to a really worthy cause, but people are struggling financially,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how much it is - it all adds up.”

Despite the challenges, several members of the company’s Executive Leadership Team have already donated and sent words of encouragement ahead of the trek.

“Everybody has been really supportive, and ELT has put their hands in their pockets.”

The fundraiser is still live if you’d like to contribute: https://lnkd.in/eK9kKPv2