SHOPPING centre staff dressed as elves for the Alzheimer’s Society’s Elf Day.

There was a giant money box at Culver Square in Colchester where people could donate to help fund research.

The shopping centre has been supporting the charity in other ways, by donating stallholder fees from the Christmas fair and donations made from the gift wrapping service, Christmas crafts and miniature Polar Express steam train in the centre.

Centre manager David Robertson said: “Behind all the festive fun, there’s a serious reason we were involved in Elf Day.

“That reason is dementia. With someone developing it every three minutes, dementia is the number one cause of death, so we want to do our bit to help.

Mark Neville, from the Essex branch of the Alzmeicher’s Society said “We urgently need to find a cure and offer help and understanding to people affected.

“Fundraising activities like Elf Day help us towards that goal.”