What more can be said about Ann Shortt – apart from announcing her as our third Drogheda and District Chamber Community Champion award winner, in association with our corporate partners, Becton Dickinson Company.
Ann has spent two decades helping those impacted by dementia and with instances of the illness rising year on year, worldwide, the need for funding, research and most of all, support, has never been as important.
The Drogheda Branch of the Alzheimer’s Association of Ireland has always been close to Ann’s heart from her own personal family experience.
The first Alzheimer’s daycare centre was opened in Drogheda in 1996 beside Laurence’s Gate and later moved to the Donore Road.
But the dream of a purpose built centre to serve the region was always there and Ann played a leading role – with many others – to bring in the €800,000 needed to make the dream a reality.
Finally, in 2022, the new Tredagh Lodge opened and has been a wonderful resource for clients and their families.
It’s a place where smiling, laughing and fun is the norm, where people are treated with respect and dignity and, more than anything else, are assisted on their journey with dementia.
They say money can never buy the value of a volunteer and the people that play their part in this success story prove that.
Last year, the business community came in to play their part in helping Drogheda become a dementia inclusive town, something Drogheda chamber were very proud to be involved with.
“Ann is an inspiration and we are delighted to honour her as part of the Community Champion series,” Ronan Quinn from series partner, BD, stated.