At ADSS we don't just support people with dementia, we also support the professionals who care for them.
Join a team that cares for you!
Choose your challenge. Celebrate 35 years. Change lives. This September, during Alzheimer's Month, we're celebrating 35 years of bringing hope, purpose and dignity to people affected by dementia. Whatever your passion, make it 35 and help ensure no one has to face dementia alone.
This September during Alzheimer's Month, help us celebrate 35 years of bringing hope, purpose and dignity to people affected by dementia by taking on your own 35 challenge.
Walk 35 miles. Bake 35 cakes. Raise £35. Knit for 35 hours or create something completely your own. Whatever your challenge, every pound you raise will help us bring life-changing support and care to the people of Kent.
Thirty-five years ago, ADSS was founded on a simple belief: no one should have to face dementia alone.
For 35 years, we've been there when families don't know where to turn. We've provided expert guidance, practical support, friendship and hope to thousands of local people living with dementia and those who care for them.
But the need has never been greater.
This Alzheimer's Month, your challenge can do more than celebrate our past. It can help ensure that every family has someone to turn to, somewhere to belong and a community that understands for the next 35 years.
Choose your 35. Change lives. Help power the next 35 years.
Supporting ADSS means changing thousands of lives.
Every pound you raise helps us reach more people when they need us most. Last year alone, ADSS supported 7,552 people - almost 1,300 more than the previous year -showing just how quickly demand for dementia support is growing.
Your support makes moments like these possible:
· 7,552 people supported. Thousands of people living with dementia and the people who care for them received specialist support, advice and guidance.
· 98% of people said ADSS helped them feel supported.
· 97% said they knew more about dementia because of our support.
· 96% said they felt more able to cope with day-to-day life.
· 95% would recommend ADSS to someone else affected by dementia.
· Hospital dementia support helped 670 people, reducing the average hospital stay from 11.4 days to 7.4 days, with 176 people returning home the very same day instead of being admitted. This means better outcomes for people living with dementia and less pressure on our NHS.
Your challenge isn't just fundraising. It's helping local people live with hope, purpose and dignity. Ready to raise for future generations?
Sign up now!35 years of changing lives
Every milestone tells the story of people coming together to ensure no one has to face dementia alone. Here's how your support has helped shape ADSS.
1991 | Where it all began
ADSS was founded on a simple belief that every person affected by dementia deserves hope, support and someone to turn to.
2017 | A new chapter
ADSS became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), strengthening the charity's foundations and creating a platform for future growth.
DATE? | The Beacon opens
The Beacon Day Centre opened its doors, creating a welcoming place where people living with dementia could enjoy friendship, meaningful activities and specialist support.
DATE? | Care that comes to you
Our Support at Home service launched, helping people remain independent in the comfort and familiarity of their own home, with compassionate care tailored to each individual.
2022 | Reaching more communities
ADSS launched the Dementia Coordinator service, ensuring thousands of people received the support and guidance needed following a dementia diagnosis.
2023 | A permanent home for hope
Thanks to a transformational trust grant, ADSS purchased SafeHarbour, creating a permanent dementia-friendly hub where people can find advice, friendship, activities and a community that understands.
2024 | Supporting people when they need us most
Our Hospital Dementia Coordinator Service began helping people living with dementia and their families navigate one of the most challenging parts of their journey, supporting timely discharge and improving hospital experiences.
2025 | Our biggest impact yet
We supported 7,552 people across Kent and Medway - the highest number in our history - as demand for specialist dementia support continued to grow.
2026 | A community saved
ADSS reopened the Capstone Day Centre in Medway, protecting a much-loved service and ensuring local people living with dementia continued to have a place to connect, thrive and receive specialist support.
2026 | Recognised nationally
Our commitment to innovation, quality and person-led care has seen ADSS become a multi award-winning charity, recognised on both a local and national stage.
The next chapter starts with you
As we celebrate 35 years of changing lives, we're asking you to help power the next 35 years - so every person affected by dementia has someone to turn to, somewhere to belong and hope for the future.
Sign me up!Every fundraiser changes someone's story.
Behind every challenge is a family whose life has been changed because someone chose to support ADSS.
Jane's Story | Finding hope in uncertainty
Jane was living with distressing hallucinations while waiting for a diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia. Her family felt overwhelmed and unsure how to get the right help. ADSS worked closely with her GP and Memory Clinic to help move things forward, while supporting Jane and her loved ones through an incredibly worrying time. Today, her family knows they have someone in their corner, helping them navigate each next step together.
Daisy's Story | A comfort blanket when life changed overnight
While caring for her 91-year-old mum, Daisy received the devastating news that her own cancer had returned. She was terrified about what would happen to her mum during treatment. ADSS helped put plans in place, explored social support and reassured Daisy that neither she nor her mum would face the journey alone. By the end of the conversation, the fear had lifted and Daisy described ADSS as a true "comfort blanket."
Bob's Story | Caring for the carer
For years, Bob had devoted every day to caring for his wife, June. As her dementia progressed, the demands became relentless and his own wellbeing began to suffer. ADSS arranged respite, counselling and additional support, helping Bob realise that caring for himself wasn't selfish - it was essential. With the right support around him, he felt able to continue caring for the person he loves most.
Lydia's Story | It's the little things that matter
Living with dementia meant everyday tasks were becoming increasingly frustrating for Lydia. During a home visit, ADSS focused on the small things that could make a big difference - from adaptive clothing to practical support and help with keeping warm during winter. Those simple changes helped Lydia retain her independence and continue living life on her own terms.
Your Story Starts Here
These are just a handful of the thousands of stories that unfold across our communities every year.
Every day, someone receives a dementia diagnosis. Every day, a carer reaches breaking point. Every day, a family wonders where to turn next.
And every day, thanks to people who support ADSS, someone is there to answer that call.
By taking on What's Your 35?, you'll help create hundreds more moments like these. More families finding hope. More carers feeling supported. More people living with dementia discovering friendship, purpose and the reassurance that they are not alone.
My 35 challenge!
