Alzheimer's Society UK

What Alzheimer's Society UK does

Alzheimer's Society is the United Kingdom's leading dementia support and research charity, founded in 1979 and headquartered in London, operating across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (with a separately registered Isle of Man entity). The organization pursues a dual mission: funding dementia research and delivering direct support services to the approximately 1 million people in the UK currently living with dementia, their carers, and healthcare professionals. It is structured as a company limited by guarantee with charity registration, governed by a board of trustees, and funded entirely through donations, legacies, events, and corporate partnerships rather than fees for service.

The charity's service portfolio centers on free direct-to-beneficiary channels: the Dementia Support Line (1,500 weekly contacts and roughly 5,000 calls in December 2025, a 16% YoY increase), the Dementia Support Forum (73,000 members), a Companionship Service, the Dementia Connect Support Directory, and a Dementia Symptoms Checklist endorsed by the Royal College of GPs. It also runs professional training for healthcare workers and produces an extensive library of publications and factsheets. On the research side, the charity invested over £18.5 million in research and innovation in 2025, including the Blood Biomarker Challenge (which enabled the first UK patient blood test for dementia) and the UK Dementia Trials Network with research nurses deployed across 20 sites. The platform is built around a website, online community, and helpline infrastructure, with no proprietary AI or model assets disclosed.

Revenue is generated through five principal streams: individual donations (monthly giving, lottery, philanthropy), events and fundraising (running, treks, cycling, swimming, skydiving, virtual challenges), corporate partnerships (including The Football Association, which has raised £1.6 million since 2021, and Insurance United Against Dementia, which has raised over £11 million since 2017 with match funding from the Z Zurich Foundation), legacy gifts via Wills, and memorial giving. The charity's go-to-market is community- and event-driven, supplemented by PR-led media campaigns (including a Channel 4 documentary with Jon Snow) and a Dementia Friends awareness program, all operating under the unifying Forget Me Not brand symbol.

Name

Alzheimer's Society UK

Legal name

Alzheimer's Society

Website

https://alzheimers.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Alzheimer's Society is the UK's leading dementia charity, founded in 1979 and based in London, funding dementia research and delivering free support services (helpline, online community, training, local services) to the roughly 1 million people in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland living with dementia, their carers, and health professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dementia Support and Care Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dementia Care Coordination & Care Planning (HSABAEAJ), Dementia/Alzheimer’s Care Management & Behavioral Support (HLADALAF), Post-Diagnosis Transition & Hospital-to-Home Dementia Support (HSABAEAL), Dementia Personal Care (ADLs) Support (HSABAEAB)

Keywords

• Dementia support services
• Charitable health support
• Dementia helpline services
• Dementia care training
• Dementia information resources

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters, including monthly giving programs, lottery participation, and major gifts/philanthropy.
2. Events and Fundraising: Revenue from organized fundraising events including running events, treks, cycling, swimming, skydiving, and virtual challenges.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partnerships and sector-wide initiatives like Insurance United Against Dementia, which has raised over £11 million since 2017.
4. Legacy Gifts: Bequests and gifts left in Wills, providing long-term sustainable funding for the charity's mission.
5. Memorial Giving: Donations made in memory of loved ones, including funeral collections and Forget Me Not funds.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Alzheimer's Society UK is a registered charity that delivers free dementia support services to people affected by dementia across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, including a national Dementia Support Line, an online peer-support community, in-person companionship services, professional training for healthcare staff, and extensive information publications. It also funds dementia research and advocates for policy change.

Product overview

Alzheimer's Society UK operates as a charitable organization rather than a commercial product company. Its service portfolio centers on direct support services (Dementia Support Line, Dementia Support Forum, Companionship Service), digital tools (Dementia Symptoms Checklist, Dementia Connect Support Directory), professional training for healthcare workers, and information resources. The organization also conducts research initiatives including the Blood Biomarker Challenge and UK Dementia Trials Network, and runs community fundraising programs like the Dementia Run Club and Forget Me Not Appeal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dementia Support Line: Helpline service providing expert advice and tailored support for people affected by dementia
• Dementia Support Forum
• Dementia Run Club
• Insurance United Against Dementia

Products and services

• Dementia Support Line
• Dementia Support Forum Online community forum where people affected by dementia share experiences and support one another through peer interaction.
• Companionship Service A service that connects people with dementia and their carers through regular companionship contact to reduce isolation and loneliness.
• Dementia Symptoms Checklist An online tool containing 20 questions that helps individuals document possible dementia symptoms before speaking with a GP. Available in online, PDF, British Sign Language video, and Welsh formats.
• Dementia Connect Support Directory A directory enabling users to find local dementia support services and activities in their area across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
• Dementia Training Services Expert dementia training services for health and social care professionals, delivered through online learning modules and live training sessions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 73,000 people access peer support on online community
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• The FA (Football Association)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026The FA has extended its charity partnership with Alzheimer's Society for an additional two years, taking the collaboration into its seventh year running until the end of the 2027-28 season. The partnership has already raised £1.6 million since its inception in 2021, supporting groundbreaking dementia research and awareness initiatives. England's men's and women's senior head coaches Thomas Tuchel and Sarina Wiegman wore Forget Me Not badges during national team matches to mark the extension.
• NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026NIA and Alzheimer's Society launched a partnership to support dementia innovations and help them reach NHS patients faster. The collaboration aims to close the gap between promising technologies such as digital cognitive assessment tools and AI-supported diagnostics and real-world NHS adoption, addressing barriers including evidence generation and implementation.
• Channel 4flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 May 2026Channel 4 partnered with SunLife to broadcast a colorized version of the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final on June 6th, marking the 60th anniversary of England's 4-2 victory over West Germany. The broadcast aimed to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's Society, with contributions from Sir Geoff Hurst, David Baddiel, and Harry Kane.
• SunLifecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 May 2026SunLife partnered with Channel 4 to sponsor the colorized 1966 World Cup Final broadcast in aid of Alzheimer's Society, contributing to the awareness and fundraising initiative.
• Midlands PropertyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 April 2026Organized a charity rugby tournament that raised £7,500 for Alzheimer's Society from the commercial property community, with total fundraising exceeding £15,000 across all participants.
• AJ Bell and RunningWithUscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 January 2026AJ Bell is the official partner of the AJ Bell Great Run Series for 2026/2027, with RunningWithUs supporting the Dementia Run Club initiative. Ten participants with personal or professional connections to dementia are training for the AJ Bell Great North Run in September 2026.
• Insurance United Against Dementia (IUAD)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 November 2025Insurance sector-wide initiative that has raised over £11 million for Alzheimer's Society since 2017. The Z Zurich Foundation matches all funds raised before December 4 up to £100,000. The 2025 Insurance Day for Dementia generated a record-breaking £245,000.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dementia UK: UK charity providing specialist dementia Admiral Nurses and family support services. Directly comparable on the care delivery and family/carer support side, competing for donations, professional training partnerships, and direct service delivery to dementia-affected families.
• Alzheimer's Research UK: The UK's leading dementia research charity, focused on funding scientific research into causes, diagnosis, and treatment of dementia. Directly comparable as the principal UK peer on the research side of the dementia mission, competing for donor mindshare and research grant influence.

Broad incumbents

• Carers UK: National charity supporting the UK's unpaid carers, a core beneficiary group for Alzheimer's Society. Comparable in addressing carer needs, policy advocacy, and information resources for the same primary persona (carers and family members).
• Cancer Research UK: The UK's largest cancer research charity, investing hundreds of millions annually in research. Comparable as a top-tier UK health charity running research, public engagement, and high-volume fundraising programmes at significantly greater scale, setting benchmarks the Society is aspiring toward.
• British Heart Foundation: Large UK health charity with a national research investment and retail fundraising footprint. Comparable as a similarly-sized UK health charity operating comparable revenue models (donations, legacies, retail, events) and competing for the same major donor and corporate partnership pool.
• Age UK: The UK's largest charity for older people, providing advice, information, and services including some dementia-relevant support. Comparable as a much larger incumbent serving the same demographic with overlapping services (information, advice line, local services) and competing fundraising base.

Regional players

• Alzheimer Society of Canada: Canada's national dementia charity providing support, information, and research funding. Comparable as a national federation with provincial societies delivering direct services, research grants, and advocacy — a structural parallel to the Society's UK operating model.
• Dementia Australia: Australia's national peak body for people living with dementia, their families and carers. Comparable as a national dementia-focused charity in a different geography, running parallel service, advocacy, and research programmes with a similar mission structure.

Others

• NHS England: The UK's public healthcare system and a major partner/referral channel for Alzheimer's Society. Comparable not as a competitor but as the central commissioning body whose funding decisions, pathway design, and innovation adoption (e.g. via the NIA partnership) shape the Society's strategic environment.

Emerging players

• Alzheimer's Association (US): US national voluntary health organisation dedicated to Alzheimer's care, support, and research. Comparable as a global leader on the dementia mission with parallel helpline, community, research, and advocacy programmes, often cited as a strategic template.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/alzheimerssoc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AlzheimersSociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/alzheimerssocietyuk
• Instagraminstagram.com/alzheimerssoc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Alzheimer's Society UK