DOBBIES' Southport store is pledging to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK as the garden centre announces its brand-new National Charity Partner today (Tuesday, 18 February 2025). This announcement comes as the retailer marks 160 years of helping British gardeners to grow.

Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer and right now, almost 1 million people in the UK are living with it, putting precious memories and lives at risk. This partnership with Alzheimer’s Research UK will see Dobbies highlight the benefits of garden living for brain health, and through colleague and customer activity raise vital funds to support research to help find a cure for dementia.

This new partnership follows on from a successful national appeal made by Dobbies to charities across the UK. The partnership will launch from March 2025 with a year-round programme to educate on the impact of dementia and encourage donations that will fund research.

Dobbies Garden Centres’ CEO, David Robinson said:- “When we were looking for a new charity partner that would be the right fit for us, and resonate with our customers, Alzheimer’s Research UK stood out as an ideal choice. As well as fundraising to help research into a cure for dementia, our aim through this partnership is to inspire people to keep their brains healthy. Gardening can really help this through stimulating both body and mind, and staying connected with other people is also very important. In our Southport store we have everything needed to help people garden, and through our restaurant and events we also help bring people together. As we celebrate 160 years of helping British gardeners to grow, we’re really proud to be embarking on this important new partnership.”

Chief Executive Officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, Hilary Evans-Newton, said:- “Alzheimer’s Research UK is incredibly excited to join forces with Dobbies. Brains are like gardens, when well-tended and looked after, they can flourish. We’ll work together with Dobbies to inspire their community to protect their brain health through activities like gardening, while raising vital funds for a cure for dementia. If nothing changes, 1 in 2 of us will be directly affected by dementia – either by caring for someone with the condition, developing it ourselves, or both. Alzheimer’s Research UK exists to change this. With Dobbies standing with us, we will speed up our progress and end the heartbreak dementia causes sooner.”

For more information about the partnership with Dobbies Garden Centres and Alzheimer’s Research UK, visit this website.