A Teignmouth man living with dementia has brought friends and supporters together for what he believes may be the final charity event he organises himself, after raising around £70,000 alongside his wife over many years.
John Pearce held a cream tea afternoon at the Benevolent Lodge Masonic Hall in Teignmouth on Thursday 24 September, raising funds and awareness for The Young Ones, a community support group for younger people living with dementia.
The hall remained busy throughout the afternoon, with guests coming and going between 2pm and 4pm to enjoy cream teas supplied by local café Brunch, entertainment from cabaret singer Peta Howell and a raffle with prizes donated by local supporters.
Among those attending was Teignmouth Deputy Mayor Councillor Joan Atkins, while Dart & Partners donated a hamper worth around £100 for the raffle.
For John, however, the cause was particularly close to home.
Having lived with dementia for several years, he has continued to use his own experience to raise money and awareness for others affected by the condition. But after many years of organising charitable events, he acknowledged that doing so is becoming increasingly difficult.
“I think this will probably be the last one I organise myself,” John said. “With my dementia now, these events take too much out of me, but I am still keen to help and be involved.”
That desire to remain involved was clear throughout an afternoon which drew support from the wider Teignmouth community as well as local Freemasons.
John was helped with the organisation by Damian Pope, the head of Benevolent Lodge for the year.
“John’s amazing,” Damian said. “John’s got a form of dementia himself, so it’s something that’s particularly close to him.”
He added that supporting charitable causes and the local community is an important part of Freemasonry.
“Charity and service to the community are a big part of the Masons and everything else that comes with it, so it’s a pretty significant part of what we do.”
For John, the afternoon marked another chapter in a remarkable fundraising effort. Together with his wife, he has helped raise around £70,000 for charitable causes over the years.
Although he may now be stepping back from organising events himself, he has made it clear that he has no intention of stepping away from helping altogether.
That perhaps says more about the afternoon than any fundraising total could: living with dementia may have changed what John is able to do, but it has not diminished his determination to support other people facing the condition.