History
BRACE was founded in Bristol in September 1987 by a group of scientists, clinicians and volunteers, many of whom had had the painful experience of seeing close family and friends living with dementia.
At the time dementia research was in its infancy and by supporting pioneering work being undertaken by a team at Bristol University, led by Professor Gordon Wilcock, BRACE established itself as an important funder of research.
Initially run from the home of one of the founding volunteers, the charity moved in 1995 to premises at Blackberry Hill Hospital in Fishponds and again, in 2010, to Frenchay Hospital in South Gloucestershire. It is now settled in the Bristol Brain Centre at Southmead Hospital, where it moved in 2015. BRACE was the largest financial contributor to the new Brain Centre, funding the dementia team that is working in collaboration with researchers into Parkinson's Disease and multiple sclerosis.
Although BRACE initially confined its work to supporting research at the University of Bristol, it became a regional charity after 2006, and now defines its region as South West England and South Wales. It is currently supporting research at the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Plymouth, Swansea and the West of England (UWE).
During its history, BRACE funding has brought about some significant gains, which you can read about on this website.
Last updated Oct 2024
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