insideKENT Magazine Issue 21 - Nov/Dec 2013 | Page 24

CHARITY KENT BUSINESS SLEEPING GIANT MEDIA PLEDGES TO RAISE £10,000 FOR MILITARY VETERANS’ CHARITY It has been four years since the launch of Folkestone-based search and social marketing agency Sleeping Giant Media, and the awardwinning company, which has seen a 60% increase in turnover and its staff more than double in the past year alone, is marking their anniversary by giving something back to the local community. Under the banner of Challenge SGM, the firm has pledged to raise £10,000 for Combat Stress by the end of 2014. The charity helps British Armed Forces veterans suffering with mental health issues, and is currently supporting more than 150 ex-servicemen and women in Kent. Over the next 14 months the Sleeping Giant Media team will be taking part in a variety of fundraising events, the first of which has already been and gone. On 5th October this year, a dozen plucky staff braved the Assault Course Challenge at Fowlmead Country Park near Deal, during which they tackled 19 specially designed obstacles including tunnels, balance beams and rope walks. Managing director Luke Quilter, who started Sleeping Giant Media with friend Anthony Klokkou, said, “We have had a fantastic few years and we really wanted to give something back. The £10,000 goal we have set ourselves is ambitious, but it is only enough to run one Combat Stress Community Outreach Team for two weeks. We really hope people will get behind us and help us achieve our target.” This is where you come in, as SGM have asked our readers to come up with ideas for their future challenges! What would you like to see them do to raise money for this brilliant cause? Email your ideas to [email protected] or tweet them via @SleepingGiantM To offer sponsorship visit http://www.sleepinggiantmedia.co.uk/abo ut/10k-giant-challenge/ or simply text CSGM and the amount you wish to donate to 70070. www.sleepinggiantmedia.co.uk KENT LAWYER CHAMPIONS INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA As Alzheimer’s associations across the globe marked the second World Alzheimer’s Month this September, a Kent lawyer dedicated to helping the elderly and vulnerable became a Dementia Friends Champion — part of the country’s biggest ever initiative to change the way people think about dementia. Nicola August (formerly Rostron), a partner at leading South East law firm Furley Page, joins a growing network of volunteer champions who are supporting the Dementia Friends Scheme, which aims to make a positive difference to people living with the condition by creating ‘dementia-friendly communities’ nationwide. The scheme, led by the Alzheimer’s Society, has been jointly funded by the Department of Health and the Cabinet Office as part of Prime Minister David Cameron’s Challenge on Dementia, a national programme to boost research and address quality of care for people with dementia. Through the work of Dementia Friends Champions, the initiative hopes to recruit more than a million Dementia Friends by 2015, helping them to understand what it’s like to have dementia and showing them what they can do to improve the lives of those affected by the condition. 24 www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk As head of Furley Page’s specialised Elderly Client Team, Nicola has years of experience in dealing with delicate legal matters surrounding elderly or vulnerable clients, of whom may be living with dementia. Nicola says, “I know how frightening and difficult it can be living with dementia, or supporting a loved one who has the condition. There are currently more than 800,000 people with dementia living in the UK. By the end of the decade, that figure is expected to reach over a million. “Society tends to have a negative response to dementia but living with the condition does not mean that a person’s life is over. By encouraging our communities to be more accepting and understanding, individuals can feel supported and included, and continue to enjoy fulfilling lives.” Nicola will be working in partnership with fellow Dementia Friends Champion Ruth Dolan, a chartered financial planner with Kent-based financial planning experts Tarvos Wealth, to promote awareness and provide information to those wishing to become Dementia Friends. Nicola and Ruth will be offering free, interactive, regular information sessions to help potential Dementia Friends develop a better understanding of the condition and just what they can do to help people living with it. The next session will be held on Monday 11th November between 6-7pm at Furley Page Solicitors’ Canterbury office. If you would like to attend and become a Dementia Friend, you can contact Nicola at [email protected] or call 01227 763939. www.furleypage.co.uk