nBUNBURY care agency director Leila Potter has been presented with the campaigner of the year award at the Cheshire Woman of the Year competition.

Leila has been campaigning for decades for improved care a treatment for those with Alzheimers.

More recently she has been focused on the need to start treatment for Alzheimers and dementia early rather than letting it progress and then treating the symptoms.

Leila said: “I have in fact failed in some ways because I have been campaigning hard for NICE ( National Institute for Clinical Excellence) to approve a drug that costs just £2.50 a day with no success. The drug aricept is used in treating those who have the first symptoms of Alzheimers.”

“But I have to think positively recently those who have been campaigning for new cancer drugs have succeeded so I have to carry on. I was really honoured to given the award.”

Leila added: “The thing is the population is getting older we are all going to some in contact need to start preparing now.”

Leila said she is now starting to talk to as many different doctors, groups and people about the importance of treating Alzheimers and dementia early.