Foresters Charity Appeal Monthly Roundup – October 2025 – January 2026

Hello fellow Foresters and welcome to the latest edition of our Foresters charity appeal roundup! In this series, we’re reminded just how extraordinary our members are as they come together to champion Alzheimer’s Society, the UK’s leading dementia charity.

Their energy and generosity continue to drive our 2025/2026 Annual Charity Appeal forward in the most inspiring way.

A message from our High Chief Ranger, Gail Lancaster:

“As I look back at the last months of 2025, firstly I want to take this time to thank all of you for your commitment, for sharing your own stories, and for your donations to my HCR charity appeal for Alzheimer’s Society.

I have appreciated your kind encouraging words on my choice of charity and your commitment through the year with fetes, walking running, coffee mornings and raffles to name a few.

As always, the invitations to attend Foresters events have taken me up and down the country, mostly by train, which has been an interesting mode of travel. In the last quarter of the year, we held the online Spooktacular Halloween quiz with Count Hatula as quiz master – a fun evening was had by all!

I recently attended the Northern Home Counties Area lunch, where we enjoyed a wonderful performance from a talented singer during the meal. From there, I travelled up to Pitlochry to spend time with our members north of the border, including a trip to the local theatre to see The Sound of Music. I also took the opportunity to visit Carrbridge, the village I lived in back in 1968 with my family, which was a real blast from the past!

Festive Events Across Our Communities

December got off to a festive start with the Southern Home Counties Annual Christmas Concert, where Foresters Brass performed beautifully and unveiled the Christmas single they released in support of my charity appeal. I would like to give a special thanks to Foresters Brass for all their support, which I’m eternally grateful for.

From there, I was delighted to attend a series of wonderful Christmas lunches and dinners, beginning with Foresters Courts 4399, 3094 and 4675, followed by Wales and the Borders Area, and then Courts 2849, 2991 and 7829. It was a fantastic way to celebrate the season with so many of our members.

Building Awareness Through Dementia Friends Sessions

Alongside the celebrations, we continued our commitment to raising awareness by hosting Dementia Friends sessions in October and November. These sessions gave colleagues the opportunity to learn more about dementia and the small but meaningful ways we can all offer support. Thank you to Ross Boon, Regional Fundraiser at Alzheimer’s Society for leading the sessions.

Celebrating Elf Day

December also brought a burst of festive fun as our members took part in the Alzheimer’s Society’s Elf Day. It was great to see photos of members embracing the spirit brilliantly dressing up as elves and collecting donations.

Thank you all so much to the Foresters Court Secretaries and the Court members for all of your help in getting me to and from the stations to hotels and the events – it would have been difficult without you.

New Year Challenge

I was excited to start the new year with our ‘982 Mile New Year Challenge’ in support of Alzheimer’s Society.

Together, our members are collectively aiming to cover 982 miles by 22nd June, which is one mile for every one of the 982,000 people in the UK living with dementia. Every mile counts, and everyone is welcome to take part.

How to Get Involved

  • Choose your distance – decide how many miles you’d like to complete, either individually or as a group
  • Pledge your miles – email us at [email protected] so we can add your contribution to our running total
  • Get moving – you can walk, run, swim, cycle, dance, or row the distance
  • Complete your distance by Monday 22nd June – and ask friends and family to sponsor your efforts along the way

Let’s make every mile matter.

Thank You – Let’s Keep the Momentum Going

A huge thank you to everyone who has taken part in our activities over the past few months, from attending events or joining our Dementia Friends sessions and getting involved in Elf Day. Your enthusiasm and generosity continue to drive our 2025/2026 Annual Charity Appeal forward.

Hopefully I will have the opportunity to meet with some of you at Southsea for the Foresters Southern Conference.

Best wishes and wishing you all an amazing 2026!

Yours fraternally, Gail.”

How to Support Our Appeal

There are plenty of ways to keep supporting Alzheimer’s Society and help us build on this fantastic progress:

You can learn more about the Society’s annual charity appeal here.

 

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