Younger People with Dementia (YPWD) is bringing back its Advent Calendar Challenge, running from 1 - 24 December 2026.
How the Challenge Works
Rather than opening a chocolate door each morning, participants will discover something new behind each virtual door throughout December. There are three different challenges to choose from, so people can take part in a way that suits them. Whichever they choose, participants will also discover a new surprise every day behind each virtual door.
The challenge costs £15 to take part, with a suggested fundraising target of £50. Participants can take part on their own, with friends and family or as part of a workplace team. There will also be prizes donated by local businesses and organisations for participants to win throughout the challenge.
Why It Matters
Behind the festive fun is a serious reason to take part. A gentleman the charity supports, who was diagnosed with young onset dementia in his mid-30s, said:
Imagine a person who has a wonderful career, a well-paid job, a beautiful family; living a great life. But all of a sudden, just like that, they lose everything. When I received my diagnosis, I lost my independence, my job, my financial freedom, my colleagues, and the person I had worked so hard to become.
Dementia can have a particularly devastating impact when it affects someone earlier than expected in life. At an age when people may still be working, raising children, supporting other family members and planning for the future, a diagnosis can have a profound impact on the whole family.
Young onset dementia affects people under the age of 65. People living with this condition can face challenges that are very different from those associated with later-life dementia. They may have to leave work earlier than planned, experience changes to family and relationships, face financial pressures and find that there are fewer services specifically designed around their age and circumstances. This is where YPWD provides specialist support.
Support Across Berkshire
The charity supports people living with young onset dementia and their families across Berkshire, Surrey Heath, North East Hampshire and Farnham, providing free activity-based workshops, one-to-one transition support, micro-groups, education and training, carer support, children's groups and community outreach. The focus is not simply on dementia, but on helping people continue to live active, connected and fulfilling lives after diagnosis.
An attendee of the activity-based workshops said:
People think that when you have dementia, your life is over and you can’t do anything anymore. But we can, and YPWD has helped me to do this. If we have the right support and help, we can still live full lives.
Amy Pagan, Marketing, Fundraising & Social Media Lead at YPWD, said:
Young onset dementia can turn someone's life upside down at a time when they may still be working, raising a family and making plans for the future. It doesn't just affect the person diagnosed; it affects the whole family.
She added:
Our services give people the opportunity to stay connected, try new things, build confidence and spend time with others who understand what they're going through. We also support the families and carers around them.
She continued:
The Advent Calendar Challenge is a really positive way for people to support that work. We wanted to create something that people could enjoy throughout December, rather than another challenge that feels like hard work at what is already a busy time of year. You can make it your own, have some fun and know that you're helping other families at the same time.
Getting Involved
Money raised through the challenge will help YPWD continue providing its services throughout the year.
For participants, the challenge might mean getting out for a daily mile, making time for an hour doing something that challenges or benefits them, or taking on the 78-mile progressive challenge.
The charity is also encouraging local businesses, community groups and workplaces to get involved, either by taking on the challenge as a team, donating a prize or sharing it with their staff, members and communities.
More information and sign-up details can be found on the charity's website.
