A short history
Haslemere has long been a hub for dementia care
Local resident Dr Anne Hunter, an Associate Specialist in Neurology at the RSCH and Holy Cross Hospital, developed a specialist interest in dementia in all its forms. With her husband Brian, senior partner of Haslemere solicitors Burley and Geach, she co-founded The Alzheimer’s Society in 1979 and, subsequently, its Haslemere branch.
From L to R: Barbara Jeffers, Branch Chairman 1999 - 2002, Anne Downing, Chairman of the Board of Trustees since 2017, Dr Anne Hunter, Co-founder of The Alzheimer’s Society 1979 and subsequently a Haslemere branch.
A local initiative
In 1993 two Haslemere Health Visitors recognised a need for local support for people with dementia and those caring for them at home. Under the guidance of Dr Hunter, a steering group was formed, resulting in the opening of a Day Centre in Haslemere at The Marjorie Gray Hall in 1994.
In early 2017 it looked as though the Centre’s days were numbered when the Alzheimer’s Society decided to return its focus to research. However local residents campaigned and raised funds to set up a new charity with a board of local trustees, to take on the running of the Day Centre. It reopened in July 2017 as The Hunter Centre, named after Dr Anne Hunter and her husband Brian in recognition of their role in supporting dementia care locally and nationally.