Advocating for Alzheimer’s patients

Campaigning for a cure for dementia

Shelle Luscombe knows the devastation caused when a family member receives a dementia diagnosis. Both her parents lived with dementia and, as their only child, Shelle took it upon herself to fundraise for Alzheimer’s Research UK as well as do everything she could to ensure the best outcomes for her mum and dad. To raise awareness and campaign for a better future for other families, Shelle wanted to generate significant media attention about the need for research.

National media awareness

As Shelle was funding the campaign herself, it was vital to us that every minute we spent on the campaign delivered maximum impact. Shelle had an incredible story to tell, not just through her lived experience, but also because of the incredible lengths she’d gone to to fundraise for the charity, completing 50 crazy challenges after her 50th birthday.

We capitalised on Shelle’s personal experience and fundraising endeavours, and took Shelle’s story one step further by talking to the media about her brave decision to have her DNA tested to determine her likelihood to receive an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in the future.

Podcast interviews

Shelle is a fantastic public speaker and very passionate about her cause, which is why we couldn’t wait to contact podcasters to see if they wanted to interview her and share her story with their listeners. Having researched the opportunities at length, we approached carefully selected podcasters with the offer of having Shelle on their show.

Big opportunities in a short time

In just 6 months, Shelle found herself being invited to write an in-depth health article for the national lifestyle magazine, Stylist; being whisked to London courtesy of Prima magazine for a 4-page makeover, telling her story to Care Home magazine; and being interviewed by the Sun’s health editor for a major weekend feature. She was also invited to appear on two UK podcasts, with more podcasters eager to interview her on their shows in the months ahead.