Film and television star Dame Judi Dench, who won critical acclaim in her most recent role as an Alzheimer sufferer, has given her personal backing to a Bradford initiative to help carers.

The Bradford branch of the British Red Cross, in conjunction with the Bradford branch of the Alzheimers Society, is seeking to train volunteers to perform massages on stressed-out carers who look after partners or relatives with the disease.

The illness causes sufferers to forget what they have done minute by minute though their long-term memory may not be affected.

Dame Judi's film portrayal of dementia-stricken author Iris Murdoch won wide acclaim and now organisers are hoping volunteers will come forward to help the forgotten sufferers - the carers. The treatment applies massage of the neck and shoulders through clothing and has proved to be particularly effective in relieving stress and anxiety.

In a letter to the West Yorkshire British Red Cross headquarters at Idle, Dame Judi Dench said she was pleased to be asked to give her support and added: "I am also delighted that John Bailey's book about Iris Murdoch and the film, Iris, have helped to highlight the plight of Alzheimer sufferers and their carers."

British Red Cross Community Services co-ordinator Rachel Souter said: "We thought it would be a good start to get a message from Dame Judi and she responded very quickly - for which we are most grateful.

"We are now anxious to recruit volunteers to train as therapeutic care practitioners. The training is free and volunteers will receive out-of-pocket expenses."

There are about 5,000 Alzheimers Disease sufferers in the Bradford area and the Bradford society hears about 400 new contacts a year.

Ruth Gallagher, co-ordinator for the Bradford branch of the Alzheimers Society, said: "Carers are often under considerable stress. The nature of the illness means they have to be a walking memory for the people we are caring for, and the constant responsibility is enormous. Depression among carers is quite common and the massage treatment offered by the Red Cross is an invaluable source of comfort."

And Shipley couple George and Enid Russell also gave their support to the new scheme. Mrs Russell, 67, is an Alzheimer sufferer and is helped with day-to-day tasks by her husband.

Mr Russell said: "We attend support groups once a month and are in touch with other couples. I think we cope all right but it is like an invisible stress that can creep up on you. You do have to have two memories and have to think about everything - and that can get too much sometimes