Meet #OurEntrepreneurs. Today we welcome Glenda Devlin Founder of Your Health and Care and the Peggi App and part of our new Dementia Innovators Programme.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am Glenda Devlin: Founder of Your Health and Care and the ‘Peggi App’. I hold an MBA, I am a qualified Social Worker with qualifications in management, leadership and teaching.
Name: Glenda Devlin , NHS CEP Dementia Innovators Programme Cohort 1
Occupation: Founder / Managing Director
I bring over 30 years’ experience of practice and leadership in health and social care in the public and private sector. My experience ranges from front line social work, with a career that includes Director and Chief Executive positions. I have developed adult home healthcare services in the UK and Asia. I completed the NHA Top Leaders programme (Cohort 19) and I am grateful to be accepted on this programme as Cohort 1 of the Dementia Innovators Programme.
Tell us about your innovation
Dementia is the UK’s leading cause of death, affecting nearly 1 million people today and projected to reach 1.4 million by 2040. Globally, over 55 million people live with the condition. Beyond the staggering numbers lies a more personal crisis: loneliness, confusion, and disconnection from loved ones. Families struggle to maintain meaningful relationships, while carers face emotional and logistical burdens. In hospitals and care homes, staff often lack the time to provide the one-on-one attention that could ease anxiety and distress.
Peggi was born from personal experience. I cared for my Aunt Peggi, who, like many with dementia, became increasingly isolated and eventually forgot who I was. I spent hours creating physical memory books, trying to reconnect. That experience inspired me to build a digital solution that could do the same—at scale, and with love.
Peggi is a private, multimedia platform designed to reconnect people living with dementia to their families, their memories, and themselves. Unlike mainstream social media, Peggi is intentionally simple, safe, and free from distractions like ads, notifications, or complex interfaces. It’s a digital space where close friends and family can share photos, voice notes, music, and messages—creating a comforting, familiar environment for someone who may be feeling lost or isolated.
Peggi acts as a collaborative memory book. Over time, users build a rich, multimedia biography organised around themes like career, relationships, life events, and values. These memories are not only therapeutic in the moment—they become a lasting digital legacy, potentially enhanced by AI to create personalised outputs for future generations.
The results have been powerful. One man, who ‘didn’t want to live any more’, was moved to “happy tears” after engaging with Peggi. A woman who typically took two hours to calm down during distress found peace in just five minutes. Families report that Peggi helps loved ones talk about their lives with ease, prompted by familiar images, voices, and music.
Based on current research, reminiscence therapy improves mood, self-esteem, and reduces depression and anxiety (Fujiwara et al., 2012; Musavi et al., 2017). If Peggi can reduce hospital admissions and GP visits by even 20%, the estimated NHS savings could be around £500 per patient per year—a significant impact when scaled nationally.
As we diagnose dementia earlier, we must also act earlier—creating tools that preserve identity, foster connection, and reduce the burden on carers. Peggi is more than an app. It’s a mission to bring families closer, one memory at a time.
How did you find out about the programme and your aims for the next year?
I found out about the programme through a previous cohort member who shared their experience on LinkedIn. Their enthusiasm and the impact it had on their journey really resonated with me. I was drawn to the mix of Pit Stops, Alzheimer’s-focused events, mentoring, and funding guidance. What excites me most is the chance to connect with other entrepreneurs—this journey can be isolating, and having a supportive network to learn and grow with, both online and in person, is invaluable. I applied because I believe in both myself and my innovation, but I know I can’t do this alone. I’m here to learn, contribute, and grow alongside others who are equally passionate.
Over the next year, I want to challenge and develop every aspect of my innovation—from refining my pitch and marketing strategy to strengthening my business plan. I’m especially excited about co-designing the new build of Peggi in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s VOICE network, staff, and users. I hope to explore NHS pathways, particularly around social prescribing for young-onset dementia, and build the foundations for future investment. I aim to grow in confidence, present at conferences, build my sales team, and gather more case studies that show Peggi’s impact. Most of all, I want to stay connected to this community, share what I learn, and keep pushing Peggi forward.
Why is innovation in healthcare important?
Innovation in healthcare is essential because the challenges we face—an ageing population, rising co-morbidities, and staff shortages—can’t be solved by doing things the way they’ve always been done. The NHS must evolve with the pace of technology and public expectations, embracing digital tools, AI, and entrepreneurial thinking to work smarter and faster.
I want to see an NHS that’s not just reactive but ground-breaking—one that prioritises prevention, experimentation, and alternative approaches. Innovation is how we future-proof healthcare and deliver better outcomes for everyone.
We are thrilled to welcome Glenda as part of our new Dementia Innovators Programme in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society. For more information on the collaboration please visit the Dementia Innovators page
