Celebrity choreographer and dementia activist, Dame Arlene Phillips DBE, is partnering with national home care provider Bluebird Care in support of their mission to become the leading dementia specialist in home care.
The new role was announced at a launch event for Bluebird Care’s fundraising partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, for whom Dame Arlene is already an Ambassador.
Dame Arlene is a celebrity choreographer, who became a household name following her formation of British dance troupe Hot Gossip, her choreography work on hit Broadway and West End shows, and as a judge on television programmes like Strictly Come Dancing.
After experiencing the realities of dementia care following her father’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease, Dame Arlene became an Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador and vocal advocate for increased awareness of dementia and improvement to care.
As the launch event’s guest of honour, Dame Arlene welcomed Bluebird Care’s pledge to donate £50,000 to Alzheimer’s Society. The donation will be raised through fundraising activities across Bluebird Care’s franchises in the coming months, and Dame Arlene will join Bluebird Care at their annual conference in September to present the £50,000 to Alzheimer’s Society.
At the launch event, Dame Arlene took part in several conversations with Bluebird Care’s care experts. The discussions focused on the importance of specialised dementia care, the value of carers in the delivery of excellent care, and the role that celebrities and public figures like Dame Arlene can play in raising awareness of dementia and advocating for improvements for those living with the condition.
The care excerpts in attendance praised Dame Arlene’s passion for the cause and reflected on how meaningful the day was in bringing people with the same shared commitment to supporting those living with dementia together.
Dame Arlene Phillips DBE said:
“I am proud to be representing Bluebird Care as their new Celebrity Champion. I know firsthand how important providers like Bluebird Care are in delivering excellent quality care to the people who need it. Their commitment to prioritising exceptional dementia care is not something they have had to do, but rather something they have chosen to spearhead, and I commend their dedication to stepping up to the challenge.
I believe it is the responsibility of those of us with a platform to use our voice for good and it is a privilege to be able to champion an organisation whose work is having such meaningful, positive impact on those living with dementia.”
Jonathan Gardner, Chief Executive Officer, Bluebird Care, said:
“We are honoured to have Dame Arlene join us as Bluebird Care’s new Celebrity Champion. She has been a passionate advocate for excellent dementia care for many years and we appreciate her invaluable support for our commitment to becoming leaders in specialist dementia care.
At Bluebird Care, we put the delivery of exceptional support for the people we care for and their families first. Our collaboration with Dame Arlene and fundraising partnership Alzheimer’s Society are fantastic steps towards our ongoing goal of bettering the lives of those affected by dementia, and we are proud to be reaffirming the high-quality dementia care we continuously deliver across our services.”
