Author: Helen Green

Local triathlete, Veronica Green-Jones, from Prestwood, is gearing up for an extraordinary challenge to support family carers of people living with dementia. Veronica, who works at a girls’ school in Amersham and in an art gallery in London, will be competing in the well known Blenheim Palace Triathlon 2024 on June 1st and 2nd as a ‘Weekend Warrior.’ This means she will be completing not just one triathlon, but repeating the event as many times as she can throughout the weekend, within the constraints of the event race waves times.
Veronica’s passion for triathlons began in 2018 when she competed in her first triathlon and was “bitten by the bug.”. Her promising athletic journey took a pause in 2019 when she had to withdraw from the event due to being heavily pregnant with her third child. The pandemic further delayed her return to the sport, but she made a triumphant comeback in 2022. That year, she not only competed but excelled, finishing first in her age group and as the second female overall.
Balancing her demanding schedule, which includes working and caring for her three young sons, Veronica has continued to achieve remarkable feats in the triathlon world. In 2022, she qualified for the GB Age-Group Teams in Aquathlon and clinched the top spot in her female age group at the European Aquathlon Championships in Belgium. She also emerged victorious in her age group at the British Championships held at Hever Castle last September.
Veronica’s journey to becoming a triathlete is even more inspiring considering her childhood struggles. “For someone who was really ill as a child and early teen and missed 4 years from school with chronic fatigue syndrome/ME, it gives me no end of pleasure to be fit and well. I’ve never looked back,” she says. Her personal experience with chronic illness and the intense care she received from her parents has fueled her commitment to supporting carers.
Veronica’s motivation for this year’s Blenheim Palace Triathlon is deeply personal and philanthropic. She aims to raise funds for the charity, Dementia Carers Respite, a cause close to her heart. All the money raised will be used to provide much-needed respite for family carers of people living with dementia in Buckinghamshire.
Join Veronica in her inspiring endeavor by donating to her fundraising campaign at https://bit.ly/3xZvPCJ and help make a difference in the lives of those caring for loved ones with dementia. Your support can provide a vital lifeline to these dedicated carers, offering them the opportunity to rest and recharge.

Read our updated post about the triumph for Veronica at the triathlon. 

As a splendid endorsement of the invaluable work of Dementia Carers’ Respite (DCR), Walid Marzouk, the charity’s Chair, was invited to a No. 10 Downing Street Reception held for the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission on 20^th March 2024.

Coming just three days short of the charity’s first anniversary helped make this a special event, in which Walid was delighted to participate, especially knowing that most attendees were from larger and more well-established organisations.

Walid said, ‘Having the pleasure of meeting Hilary Evans and speaking to Professor Nadeen Sarwar, Co-chairs of the Mission, I learnt the good news that affordable testing for dementia is soon becoming available, as well as new treatments within the next decade.

I also spoke to Scott Mitchell (Barbara Windsor’s husband), who was announced as the People’s Champion of the National Mission to beat dementia, founded in his wife’s memory. Scott knows the Chesham and Amersham areas and we hope he will visit DCR very soon.

Fruitful discussions were held with many other people from large and small charities and NGOs, as well as policy makers. As I was leaving, a lady from a Swansea charity, who overheard me talking about our work, stopped me to say “I am in awe of what you are doing” – what a credit to pay to our wonderful team!’

A most memorable day and a wonderful experience as well as very useful high-level networking for Dementia Carers’ Respite.

What a fantastic week for Dementia Carers’ Respite! We had an interview on Wycombe Sound Radio Christmas Show, where a charity spokesperson, Jules Sainter, was interviewed by the amazing councillor and passionate advocate of community and charity issues, Mimi Harker (OBE). The interview talks about how the charity supports family  carers of dementia patients by funding a few hours of respite a week, where their loved one is cared for by a professionally trained dementia carer. You can listen to it in full here, or to volunteer, donate or receive respite care yourself, contact support@dementia-respite.org.uk.

Dementia Carers Respite took part in the Amersham Christmas Celebration on Saturday December 2nd and our volunteers were delighted with the interest shown by the local community. This live interview with our chair, Walid Marzouk, sums up what the charity is all about.

We are delighted with the fantastic coverage given to Dementia Carers Respite charity last Friday afternoon. Throughout the news, the radio station featured exerts from an interview given by spokesperson and volunteer, Jules Sainter, about the pernicious effects of dementia on both individual sufferers and on their families, and the charity’s mission to give the family carers a few hours respite every week. You can hear the interview here in full.

or follow this link.

https://www.bucks.radio/news/local-news/bucks-charity-appeals-for-donations/