Novelist Joanna Trollope spoke of her father’s battle with dementia to more than 300 women at a gathering honouring their achievements.

The Women of Kent Luncheon heard how writer Trollope has supported Dementia UK for more than 20 years, since seeing first hand the affect the disease had on her family.

All money raised from the event is being given to the charity, which supports mental health carers specialising in the illness, known as Admiral Nurses.

Women from the voluntary and business sectors gathered at the Mercure Maidstone Great Danes Hotel also heard about Trollope’s contemporary reworking of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, which triggered many other authors to do the same under the Austen Project.

Other speakers at the luncheon – held every two years – included Admiral Nurse Joan Devenney and carer Heather Fagg, who spoke movingly about looking after her husband, who suffers from dementia.

In 2012, the luncheon raised £10,000 for Kent Minds.

The luncheon was attended by:

Julie Allen, Admiral Nurse, Dementia UK; Geraldine Allinson, Kent Messenger; Sue Anderson, Sue Anderson Consultants - Education; Hilary Angel, Magistrate; Ausan Antenbring, Consultas Care & Nursing; Mary Antony, KCAS; Joan Arnold, Thanet District Scouts; Jane Ashton, School Governor; Christine Ashworth, Ex Maidstone HMP; Wendi Atherton; Lynda Attwood, KCAS; Dianne August, Magistrate, Easts Kent; Nicola August, Furley Page LLP.
Marylyn Bacon, Pilgrims Hospice, Childhood First (NGS).

Patsy Barrett, Barretts of Canterbury; Liz Bell, Women of Kent Treasurer; Sarah Bell, Reeves & Co LLP; Malou Bengtsson-Wheeler, Beanstalk; Anne Billings, KHOCA; Elizabeth Black, Saave the Children - Medway; Anne Blenkinsop, Furley Page LLP; Ellie Boon, Tunbridge Wells Citizens Advice Bureau; Merrilyn Boorman, Women of kent Vice President; Pat Bosley, Magistrate; Katie Bowen, Swale Action to End Domentic Abuse; Barbara Bradley; Mei-Leng Bradley, Singing; Rosemary Braid, Soroptimist International Folkestone; Jeanne Brinton, Ex KCC Member; Sal Brinton, Health Spokesman - House of Lords - Lib Dem; Katie Broadfield, Whitehead Monkton; Christine Bromwich, Education (School Governorship); Janice Brooks, Farming/Demential UK; Lucinda Brooks, Women of Kent; Nadia Brown, Magistrate; Sandra Brown, Farming; Chris Bull, Magistrate, North Kent; Julia Burgoyne, Councillor - Gravesham; Janet Burnett, Sutton Valence Parish Council; Mary Butcher, Basket Maker; Frances Button, New Romney Counselling Services.

Sharen Cain, Ashford Dyslexia Centre; Merilyn Canet, Sevenoaks District Seniors Action Forum; Jan Cannon, Magistrate; Deedle Clarabut-Catmur, SSAFA; Margaret Clark, Teacher; Caroline Clarke; Ann Cleeve, Nursery School Owner/Community projects; Sharon Clinch, Baldwins Estate Agency; Jan Cobley, Save The Children; Jill Cochrane, Kent Ambassador; Velia Coffey, Canterbury City Couoncil; Liz Coleman, NHS; Annabel Colgrain, Kent Community Foundation; Clare Coombe, Bernado’s Wealden Helpers Group; Janey Cooper, Special needs teacher (Dyslexia) Governor; Pennie Cooper, CAB; Sue Cooper, National Trust; Rosanne Corben, Women of kent Vice President’ Jacquie Corbyn, Women of Kent Secretary/School Governor/Charity Trustee; Stella Cosgrove; Carolyn Couchman, Bromley Community Counselling Service.

Jacquie Dabnor, Magistrate; Susan Davis, Magistrate; Janis Day, Soroptimist International/Parish Clerk; Renate Deerling, Ashford Dyslexia Centre; Clare Denison-Pender, Trustee of Rochester Cathedral Trust; Lois Derham, Girlguiding, West Kent, County Commissioner; Joan Devenny, Admiral Nurse, Dementia UK; Glynis Dickson, Consultus Care & NUrsing; Sam Downie, KCA; Susan Downie, Baldwins of Faversham; Julia Downing, Professor in Palliative Care; Patricia Downing, Sevenoaks Area MIND; Jan Doyle, Soroptimist International Folkestone; Christabel Drakes, Magistrate North Kent; Claire Dwyer, Chair of Governors.

Wendy Eadsforth, The John Townsend Trust/Royal School for Deaf Children; Michelle Elliott, The Good Care Group; Elizabeth English, SSAFA, Frances English, Friends of Wateringbury Church.

Heather Fagg, Carer Dementia UK; Kate Fenwick, Kent Minds; Elaine Ferris, The Good Care Group; Carole Findlay, Magistrate; Barbara Fisher, Soroptimist, Medway Towns; Susan Fisher, Magistrate; Elizabeth Fleming; Susie Fox, PA High Sheriffs of Kent; Aileen Friend, Age UK Dover.

Heather Gambrell, Fundraising Consultant; Michelle Gardener, Avante Partnership; Jenny Gasson, Education; Catherine Gee, Godmersham & Crundale Village Hall; Gill Gibb, Canterbury Oast Trust; Mary Gibbons, Magistrate/Friends of Kent Churches; Kim Gilbert. Towergate Partnerships Ltd; Amanda Glasspole, Alkham Valley Community Project & Therapeutic Riding Centre; Julie Gooda, Pillory Barn; Jenny Gurney, Fynvola Foundation.

Valerie Hale, Magistrate; Caroline Hallett, Voluntary Action Within Kent; Marion Hanbury, Stour Music; Susan Hanson, Youth Work - Doddington; Linda Hardware, Soroptimist International; Morag Hare; Eileen Hargreaves, Education; Alexandra Hamsworth, Magistrate; Emma Harris, Whitehead Monkton; Jeanne Harrison, Canterbury City Council; Rachel Hay, Barnado’s; Deborah Hedgecock; Audrey Hext, Education Holidays; Elizabeth Hext, Inner Wheel Club of Maidstone; Sue Hibbard, CAB; Anne Hill, RBL Women’s Section, Kent County Chairman; Philippa Hill, Ashford DFAS; Mary Hogarth, Mayoress of Sevenoaks; Sarah Hohler, KCC; Tracey Holland, Admiral Nurse, Dementia UK; Dorothy Hooker, Voluntary - Elderly; Jody Howie, Admiral Nurse, Dementia UK; Deborah Hunt, Royal Life SavingSociety.

Leila Ilkhan, Canterbury Oast Trust; Anne Marie Innes, RDA/Canterbury Cathedral.
Sheila Jackson, Carer Dementia UK; Jo James, Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce; Katy James, Women of Kent; Catriona Jamieson, Medway Youth Trust; Caroline Jessel, Dandelion Time; Victoria Jessel, Kent Community Foundation; Jane Johnson, Ar Fund - Kent; Lynda Jones, Magistrate; Lena Jordan, Parish Councils; Hilary Joy, Past Carers First/Past NHS Management.

Tracey Kadir, Director, Kent Probation; Sarah Kemsley, Demelza Hospice Care for Children; Monica Kendall, Chair, Epilepsy Here; Barbara Kenny; Carole Kincaid, Women of Kent; Rose Kingsdown, Women of Kent President.

Nella Lake, Women of Kent/Relate; Ruth Lapworth, Retired - East kent Hospitals; Pippa Lark, Princes Trust; Sally Larkin, Retired; Virginia Latham, National Gardens Scheme; Jean Law, Canterbury City Council, Deputy Leader; Olga Lawrence-Jones, Cobbs Meadow RDA; Norma Lawton, High Downs Benefice; Jeanette Lee, Soroptimist International Folkestone; Bay Lees, Ashford School/High Downs Benefice; Sarah-Jane Leipnik, Golding Homes; Patricia Leviston, Receiving BEM; Denise Lintern, Alzheimer’s Maidstone; Janye Loader, Admiral Nurse, Dementia UK; Barbara Lobo; Caroline Loder-Symonds, NGS; Junko Lord, Parkinson’s UK Canterbury; Jane Loudon Women of Kent; Patricia Lovett, The Heritage Crafts Association; Elvina Lowe, Swale Borough Council; Carol Lynch, Kent Community Foundation; Victoria Lyons, Admiral Nurse, Dementia UK.

Wendy Malby, Inner Wheel Club of Maidstone; Lyn Mannering, Slide Away; Suzanne March, Age UK, Sheppey; Clare Marray, Singing Group; Carol Martin, Magistrate, North Kent; Betty Martindale, Ashford Dyslexia Centre; Fiona Marwood; Deidre Massey, Women of Kent; Georgina Maude, Farm & Country Tourism; Arabella Maudslay, Secretary, Kent Minds; Caroline McBride, Golding Homes; Rosalind McCarthy, Deputy Lieutenant; Sandra McCrory, Soroptimist International Folkestone; Catherine McCully, RDA/SSAFA; Maria McFarlade, CAB; Diana McKenzie; Sheila McLachlan, Church of England; Mei-Ling McNab, Brachers LLP; Carolyn McVittie, Avante Partnership - Stepahead Support; Edith Megbele, Admiral Nurse, Dementia UK; Mary Methuen Kent International Piano Courses; Una Mills, Dover Federation for the Arts; Remory Millwater, Women of Kent; Joanna Monteuuis, Women of kent Chairman; Veronica Moore, REtired; Marjory Morris, Art Fund; Angela Moss, Langton Green Village hall; Pamela Mousley, Chair Governors, Temple Ewell CEP School; Susan Moxon, Retired Cruse & British Heart Foundation; Sally Muggeridge, Church Commissioner, CofE; Anne Munn, Magistrate; Pam Munro, Headway in West Kent; Lynne Murphy, Relate Kent; Jo Murrell, Alkham Valley Community Project & Therapeutic Riding Centre.

Anne-Marie Nelson, Many; Shirley Newlands, Retired Solicitor; Sue Nicholas, Dover District Council; Anne Norris, East kent Magistrate; Emma Norwood, KHOCA.

Amicia Oldfield, Women of Kent; Felicity Osborne, NADFAS/SaveThe Children/Rotary; Karen Ottewill, Ottewill Silversmiths & Jewellers Ltd.

Angela Painter, Kenward Trust; Sharon Parker, Kent Minds; Rachel Parry, Sevenoaks Town Council; Val Paterson, Stour Music; Jess Payne, Ex Chairman Maidstone HMP; Penny Payne, East Kent Magistrate; Ann Peerless Lecturer in Fine Art & English Speaking Union; Diane Perry, The Cookery Studio; Sloane Phillips, Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance; Suzanne Phillips, Kent Foundation; Angela Phipps, Canterbury Oast Trust; Joanne Pickard, Porchlight; Caroline Pinchbeck, Canterbury Diocese; Jill Playle, Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance; Victoria Pomery, Director, Turner Contemporary; Mary Pressnell, Age (UK) Dover; Joan-Anne Prestige, SSAFA.

Sarah Rainbird, School Appeals Committee; Caroline Reade, KCC; Aynes Reading, Dandelion Time; Hasy Reardon, Swale Action to End Domentic Abuse; Sharon Redrup, Magistrate, North Kent; Alison Richey, Justice of the Peace - East Kent; Eileen Riden, Sutton Valence Parish Council; Jasmine Roberts, C0fE Deacon; Margaret Robertson, Squerryes; Susan Robinson, Reeves & Co LLP; Jackie Rolfe, The Cedars Pupil Referal Unit; Anne Roy, Magistrate; Sally Rumbellow, Women of Kent; Julia Russell, Magistrate, Central Kent; Rosalind Russell, New Romney Counselling Services; Lisa Rye, Headway in West Kent.

Dee Saffrey, Beechfields Care Home; Symone Salwan, Home Instead Senior Care; Rebecca Sanderson, Admiral Nurse, Dementia UK; Diana Sawyer, ACRK/Magistrate; Gina Scarre, Residential Lettings; Jenny Seatherton, Chaplain to the deaf community; Gill Seeley, Magistrate; Felicity Seton, Gardening for the Disabled Trust; Emma Sharp, Admiral Nurse, Dementia UK; Jody Sharp, Medway Youth Trust; Caroline Shaw, Voluntary Action Within Kent; Doreen Shaw, Fynvola Foundation; Rizwana Shelley, Kent Khawareen Assoc; Tricia Shepherd; Mary Sillibourne, Scouting & Guiding; Rosemary Simmons, Various; Pauline Skinner, Chair Governors, Sissinghurst CE Primary School; Andree Sladden, Volunteer for NSPCC; Kathrin Smallwood, St John; Patricia Smallwood, Visitor for Elizabeth Finn/SSAFA; kathy Smith, Kent Scouts; Madeline Spain, Age UK Dover; Patricia Spain Sharpe, Ashford Dyslexia Centre; Jo Shiner, Assistant Chief Constable of Kent; Kerin Speedie, Whitehead Monkton; Anne Spencer, School Governor; Mary Spry, GDT; Celia Stamper, Admiral Nurse, Dementia UK; Sheila Stapleton, Eden Christian Trust; Daphne Stearn, Gil Guiding West Kent; Beryl Stevens, Art Fund; Jacqueline Stillwell, Magistrate; Paulina Stockell, Women of Kent/KCC; Jenny Stout, The Young Lives Foundation; Fiona Sunley, Women of Kent Vice Chairman; Sally Sweeney Carroll; Felicitie Sykes, School Governor.

Jenny Talbot, Penal Reform Researcher/Campaigner; Diane Tait, East Kent Magistrates’ Family/Rotary Panel; Liza Thompson, Swale Action to End Domentic Abuse; Sarah Thorne, Chair of Governors Folkestone School for Gilrs/Magistrate; Lynda Thwaite, Magistrate; Lois Tilden, Magistrate; Molly Tipples, Chairman of Governors MGGS; Margaret Todd, Lord Whisky Animal Sanctuary; Rosemary Toye, Consultant Radiologist; Muriel Treacher, Retired head of Midwifery Education CCC/Reader; Joanna Trollope, Author/Patron Dementia UK; Brenda Turnbull, Retired JP; Diana Turner, CMT Kent (Charcot Marie Tooth).

Loba Van der Bijl, University of Kent; Cheryl Vander, Magistrate East Kent; Mary Villiers, Kent Lieutenancy; Sally Villiers, Huggests College; Louise Vogel, Waymark Counselling Service; Alison Vos, Magistrate.

Allison Wainman, Kent Woodland Employment Scheme; Pip Walker, Lord Whiskey Animal Sanctuary; Gillian Wallace, Solicitor; Victoria Wallace, Leeds Castle Chief Executive; Valerie Wallis, YMCA; Anthea Warde, Women of Kent; Georgina Warner, Women of Kent; Helen Wathen, Kent MS Therapy Centre; Ann Watt; Wendy Weidner Dementia UK; Ann Wells, President Thanet Scouts; Valerie Wesley, Central Kent Magistrate; Ann West, Deputy Lieutenant/KCF/Age UK; Fidelity Weston, Kent Wildlife Trust; Jacqui Wharrad, Dementia UK Volunteer; Pam White, Squerryes Court - Tourism; Sally White, Cobbs Meadow RDA; Lorraine Wilkie, Teacher; Margaret Williams, Education/Wye School; Jean Wood, Wisdom Hospice/Save the Children.

Jill Yerburgh, SSAFA Kent; Stephanie Youle, Chair Governors, Eastling School.