You have a one-inthree chance of suffering dementia

Recent figures suggest there is now a one-inthree chance of developing dementia.

Race Against Dementia has been brought about in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, a hub for the UK Dementia Research Institute which is currently leading a large Uk-wide study on vascular dementia.

The charity and the endurance races are also being supported by Optical Express, which is headquartered in Glasgow and is committed to promoting the latest research in eye health.

A spokesperson for Race Against Dementia said:“there are currently 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over one million by 2025.

“Yet dementia research is drastically underfunded.the Race Against Dementia Fellowship Programme aspires to change the narrative around dementia research by funding groundbreaking new research from young scientists with fresh ideas.”

David Moulsdale, Larkhall Circuit owner and founder and chief executive of Optical Express was also at the launch, and said:“i’m hugely proud that Larkhall Circuit and Optical Express are able to support Race Against Dementia’s collaborative, innovative approach to tackling this devastating illness. Sir Jackie’s passion and determination in leading this charity is as inspiring as it was on the racetrack, and it’s a privilege to be involved in this work.

“Since my mother’s dementia diagnosis I have been struck by how poorly understood the disease is, and how far behind the research is compared to other conditions.

“We’re all desperate for a breakthrough, and at Optical Express we’re going to collaborate with Professor Spiresjones and the brilliant work her team are doing at the University of Edinburgh to achieve just that. We believe that through working together we could shine new light onto the disease and help us tackle dementia.”