BIG hearted employees of E.ON based at its office in Kingswinford have helped to raise more than £40,000 for the energy company’s charity partner, Alzheimer’s Society.

The two-year relationship began in the summer of 2016 with the aim of donating £200,000 to fund the charity’s Dementia Support Workers by mid-2018.

With around 475 employees working at the site in Kingswinford High Street, thousands of cakes and samosas have been baked, sold and eaten, and colleagues have regularly donated funds to dress down in denims, and to dress up in costume, including as elves and in outfits inspired by decades past.

Hannah Smallman, of E.ON’s Kingswinford branch, said: “I’m really proud of the way colleagues have taken up the challenge of raising money for Alzheimer’s Society, whether that’s by baking cakes, buying those cakes or taking on their own personal challenge to run a marathon or cycle the length of the county.

“The money raised by each of these activities, big or small, adds up and gets us closer to our £200,000 target. It’s really heartening to think that we’ve already managed between us to raise £40,000.”

Alzheimer’s Society was chosen as E.ON’s official charity partner by colleague vote, and all of the money raised and donated by the company and its employees is used to fund community based dementia support workers.

These professionals are on hand to help people who have been diagnosed with dementia take control of their lives and make sense of what is happening. This can include explaining how dementia progresses and also providing practical advice on things like getting financial affairs in order, claiming benefits and making referrals to the other available support services.

Emma Dowler, Alzheimer’s Society community fundraiser for Dudley and the Black Country, said: “Alzheimer’s Society provides a dementia support service in Dudley, alongside Singing for the Brain groups and dementia cafes. We’re very grateful for E.ON’s fundraising efforts.”