Venue: Chancellors Conference Centre,

Moseley Road, M14 6NN

No prior registration is required

Refreshments provided

The star of TV favourite Father Ted, Pauline McLynn, will kick-start a new campaign for the Alzheimer’s Research Trust called Memories Matter by appearing at an event in Manchester on World Alzheimer’s Day - 21 September.

The best-selling writer and actress, who played Mrs Doyle, will appear at the free public event hosted by the University of Manchester at the Chancellors Conference Centre from 2.00pm on Monday. The afternoon will feature accessible talks on the latest research developments from scientists, and is designed to help anyone who wants to know more about Alzheimer’s.

Before the event begins Pauline will unveil the ART’s memory wall – a unique collection of hundreds of memories submitted by the public on sticky-notes. The display draws attention to the memory loss experienced by the 700,000 people in the UK who live with dementia, and how we could halt this: through research into new treatments, preventions and cures.

Pauline supported the campaign by submitting her own memory, recalling her childhood:

“One of my first memories is my Dad showing me that when the big hand was at 12 and the small hand at 9, on the clock, he would be back to take me to school.”

Members of the public are invited to add their unforgettable moments – good, bad or otherwise – to the hundreds already collected on the Alzheimer’s Research Trust website at www.memories-matter.org. Selected memories will appear on the memory wall which, after launching in Manchester, will tour the UK.

As well as heralding the start of Memories Matter, Pauline will talk during the afternoon about her latest book Missing You Already, which deals with the devastating impact of Alzheimer’s.

Dr Marie Janson, Director of Development at the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said:
“We are delighted that Pauline McLynn is helping us draw attention to the profound memory loss experienced by people with Alzheimer’s. There is currently no cure for the disease, but with the help of well-known personalities like Pauline, we hope we can raise awareness of the urgent need for dementia research and have some fun doing it.”

Dr Stuart Pickering-Brown, a dementia expert at The University of Manchester, said:

"We've made great progress into the causes of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in Manchester in recent years; it's an exciting time to be involved in this work."

The public is welcome to attend the free event at the Chancellors Conference Centre, Moseley Road, M14 6NN, from 2.00pm on Monday 21 September. No prior registration is required. Refreshments provided.