OUR Ambassador

Kevin Wilson, former professional footballer and manager, is an ambassador for us. 

Kevin has strong connections to Banbury being born and raised here. He also started his career with Banbury United Football Club. He has enjoyed a long career playing for Ipswich Town, Chelsea, Notts County, Walsall and Northampton Town, amassing 740 appearances and 207 goals. 

He was capped 42 times for Northern Ireland. Kevin has personal experience of a family member with dementia so was keen to become involved. With the increasing awareness of a potential risk of dementia through contact sport, Kevin has spoken at a number of sporting events on this subject recently. 

The Rt. Hon. Sir Tony Baldry DL was the Member of Parliament for Banbury for 32 years, having been elected in the 1983 General Election and is now High Steward of Banbury and a Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire. He has over the years been a strong advocate for the provision of more adequately funded dementia services and support for carers and is convenor of the Age Friendly Banbury initiative. 

Alexandra spent most of her early life pursuing a career in the arts. She had a small art gallery for twenty five years based at her Oxfordshire home. She is currently a Trustee of Banbury Museum and Art Gallery.
She has supported the Katharine House Hospice for many years helping with various fund raising events. More recently due to a major heart operation her husband had, she has fundraised for the Oxford Heart Centre at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Her hobbies are art related and include opera, ballet, contemporary dance and music. 

Alexandra says, “If we don’t know anyone close to us now who has dementia, all of us are probably just a few years away from knowing someone with this awful disease. This is why I am so keen to support this vital Banbury based charity."

Surinder has for many years been actively involved in the Banbury community, both as a town councillor and a district councillor and was elected Mayor of Banbury in 2004. She has supported a multitude of local campaigns, for instance: Save the Horton; Woodgreen Swimming Pool; parking charges and Dial a Ride. 

For thirty eight years Surinder was an employee of Marks and Spencer at the town centre store. She chaired the store's Business Involvement Group, raising funds for many local charities, such that the work of this group was recognised at national level when both Surinder and the Group were finalists in Marks and Spencer’s national awards.  

In 2019 she was elected as the first female president of Banbury Rotary Club and used this opportunity to continue her fundraising efforts, culminating in her being presented in October 2020 with the Paul Harris Award. This is a recognition of exceptional service to Rotary and its core values. In March 2022 Surinder was awarded the British Citizen Award for helping to raise money for local and overseas charities including supporting young girls and working in the community for nearly forty years. 

Additionally she served as Trustee of Banbury Citizens’ Advice Bureau and as Governor of Banbury Secondary School. She was also an Oxfordshire County Councillor (2005-9 and 2013-7) serving on the Health & Overview Scrutiny Committee and Pension Fund Committee. 

Surinder is looking forward with energy and enthusiasm to working with Dementia Active as it expands in order to meet the support needs of people with dementia living in Cherwell. 

Lady Saye & Sele has always been very supportive and hands on right from the birth of Dementia Active and on occasions attending some of the early sessions, offering support to our members.

In the 2019 Mariette offered the use of her and Lord Saye & Sele's castle and moat at Broughton, for a much-needed sponsored swim fund raiser. The funds enabled us to purchase a minibus which is still used today. Mariette also conducted a guided tour around the castle itself for our members.

Mariette says, "Having experienced first-hand the great service Dementia Active provides, I understand how essential the support for husbands, wives and carers is, who desperately need respite. When Dementia Active approached me to represent them as Patron, I was only too happy to step forward, congratulate them on their charitable status and acknowledge all their hard work and efforts".