OUR Donate £1 for Dementia campaign has got off to a “grand” start – raising £1,000 in its first two weeks.

The appeal – launched on June 22 in partnership with Bolton NHS Charitable Fund – hopes to raise £200,000 to make wards at the Royal Bolton Hospital dementia-friendly.

Andy Lee, charitable fundraiser, said more than £400 has been raised but with cheques to be cleared and cash to be banked, he is confident this figure will rise to £1,000.

He said: “What has really struck me is how this appeal is touching everybody’s hearts – and the reaction we have had so far has proved that.”

The family of an elderly woman who had dementia and died recently have asked people for donations to the campaign at her funeral.

Another woman who is in a care home and will soon turn 90 has asked people to make donations to the appeal instead of buying her presents.

Mr Lee added: “When you get people asking to donate money to our appeal from funerals, that is when it really hits home.

“It just shows the whole community of Bolton is really stepping up to help with this campaign.”

Fundraisers have been supporting the appeal by taking ‘pound selfies’ with £1 coins and sharing these on social media using the hashtag #D14D.

The campaign will provide things which make the hospital environment, familiar and easy to use for patients with dementia but are not covered by NHS funding.

These include equipment to allow brighter or softer lighting at different times, a 1960s-themed communal lounge for patients to sit and talk in, dementia-friendly signs, memory prompting boxes, nostalgic pictures and coloured toilet seats and handrails.

Initially, the fundraising will pay for complex care ward C4 to be made a completely dementia-friendly environment.

This space will be the prototype so that when other wards come up in the hospital’s ongoing refurbishment programme, they too can be made dementia friendly.

Families, schools, businesses and groups across Bolton are being urged to donate at least £1 to the appeal.

The campaign’s logo – a giant £1 coin – will be rolling into locations across the borough over the next few weeks for people to take a selfie and make a donation.

To donate to the campaign go to www.boltonft.nhs.uk/get-involved/charitable-giving/ or send a cheque, made out to Bolton NHS Charitable Fund, to Charitable Funds Department, Dowling House, Royal Bolton Hospital, Minerva Road, Bolton, BL4 0JR.

Businesses, schools or groups who want the giant £1 to visit their event should email andy.lee@boltonft.nhs.uk

For more information about Bolton NHS Charitable Fund go to boltonft.nhs.uk/get-involved/charitable-giving/, search Bolton NHS Charitable Fund on Facebook or follow @boltonnhsft on Twitter.