Australian comedian Geraldine Hickey has joined Dementia Australia as an ambassador ahead of the charity's annual Melbourne Memory Walk & Jog event.

Hickey's commitment to the cause was sparked by her father's diagnosis with dementia in 2017. The family turned to Dementia Australia for support, accessing resources such as The Dementia Guide.

"When Dad was first diagnosed with dementia, we didn’t really know where to turn. I ended up accessing The Dementia Guide through Dementia Australia and that changed everything," Hickey said. She has since been actively involved in supporting Dementia Australia's fundraising and awareness-raising efforts since 2021, through social media posts and by lending her voice to The Dementia Guide audiobook.

Hickey recently participated in a demonstration of EDIE VR, Dementia Australia’s virtual reality tool used in education sessions with aged care workers. She described the experience as "very confronting and a real eye-opener" to the challenges of living with dementia.

"The EDIE VR was very confronting and a real eye-opener to what it must be like to live with the challenges of dementia. It helped me to understand a bit more of what my Dad’s day-to-day reality might have been," Hickey said.

Dementia Australia Chief Operating Officer, Anthony Boffa, said: "I warmly welcome Geraldine's appointment as a Dementia Australia Ambassador and acknowledge her commitment to making a difference to the lives of people of all ages living with all forms of dementia, their families and carers," Boffa said.

Hickey's appointment comes ahead of the 2024 Melbourne Memory Walk & Jog, a fundraising event for Dementia Australia scheduled for Sunday 5 May at Princes Park, Carlton North. Registrations for the event are still open.