Bupa's Great North Run

Bupa, the health insurance provider, is well known for supporting charity events. As the name suggests, this Sunday they will be sponsoring the Bupa Great North Run.

An estimated 54,000 runners will be running on the streets of Newcastle on the day. The race will be televised live on BBC1 from 9.30-13.30 on Sunday and it will also be broadcast on Radio 5.

The nominated charity for this event is the Alzheimer's Society. The Alzheimer's society is delighted with the extra publicity for their cause and the funds that they will receive. The Bupa runs attract a lot of celebrity contestants. This year Yasmina, winner of the BBC show, The Apprentice, will be participating:

'My Aunt has Alzheimer's disease and was only 55 when she was diagnosed with this devastating illness. People don't realise there are over 15,000 younger people with dementia in the UK - that's people under 65 years old. This number is likely to be an under-estimate, and the true figure may be up to three times higher. Dementia isn't just a natural part of old age and it isn't just about

'I feel privileged to be able to run the Bupa Great North Run to help raise awareness and funds for other families affected by dementia and lead Alzheimer's Society's team, Bupa's nominated charity for the Bupa Great Run series, to victory!'

Bupa and the Alzheimers Society have teamed up to launch the first ever Dementia Champions programme in 130 Bupa care homes across the UK. The programme aims to develop good dementia care and was piloted in 6 Bupa care homes during its development.

Graham Stokes, Head of Mental Health, Bupa Care Services says:

'Bupa is committed to providing highly-personalised care for people living with dementia. We believe that specialist training of care home staff is a key factor in ensuring our residents enjoy the highest possible quality of life.

'The Dementia Champions programme aims to improve quality of care and quality of life for people living with dementia. As a healthcare leader, it's a goal we at Bupa share - and we hope that we can also set a new standard for the dementia care sector'.

Bupa, who are the largest medical health insurance company in the UK are also providers of care services and run diagnostic health centres across the UK.