Real stories

Spotlight: Andrew Lynch, Trustee

Why dementia, why the Society? 

When I was retiring from full-time employed work, I wanted to find something that was useful to do on a volunteer basis.

The first thing I came across – it was fate really – was the opportunity to become a trustee of Alzheimer’s Society.

Of any charity that I could possibly have focused on, that would have been the one.

The very personal reason I wanted to work in this space is that my mother was affected by dementia for the last eight or nine years of her life, and my wife’s mother and father also had very different forms of dementia.

It couldn’t be more directly connected with our family, so it felt like the perfect charity to get involved in. And I’m very glad I did! 

How to fill an unexpected day off? 

If it’s unexpected it probably wouldn’t correlate with a West Ham fixture, so it would be to take a long walk in the countryside, ideally with my wife and my cocker spaniel dog.

Usually this would be in the Surrey Hills, which is where I live, or on the Suffolk coast. And if it did time with a West Ham fixture – well, that would be a tough call! 

Proudest achievement? 

My three daughters and the lovely adults that they’ve turned into, with the added bonus and joy of three grandchildren.

I’m not sure if that counts as an ‘achievement’ because I can’t really claim credit for it, but it’s certainly the thing I’m most proud of.

Worst advice you’ve been given? 

When I was doing my A-levels and considering what to do next, the advice I was given from a few people was, ‘You don’t need to go to university, you’ll be better of just going straight in and getting a job,’ which is what I did. 

To this day, I regret missing out on that life opportunity. It hasn’t hindered my career, but it’s something that I would have really enjoyed and benefitted from. 

Biggest priority for coming months? 

Delivering the very big systems projects that are currently in progress at Alzheimer’s Society, which should transform how efficient and effective the organisation is in many areas.

Also, to make sure that we’re lobbying and influencing the government to keep social care at the top of their agenda, even in such distracting political times. 

Most important thing learned from a person with dementia? 

When you’ve met one person with dementia, you’ve met one person with dementia –the complexity of dementia and how it manifests in so many different ways. Learning not to think you know all about what someone’s going through just because they’ve got dementia. You don’t. 

Most looking forward to? 

The whole organisation – including the Board of Trustees, who are there to support and challenge – getting stuck into the implementation of our new ‘Help and hope’ five-year strategy.

It’s incredibly exciting.