Hello All,

As many of you know, my Poppa was diagnosed with a form of Alzheimers in 2008 called Lewybodies, and sadly passed away on 13th January 2009. In memory of my Poppa and all the other people affected by such a complicated disease which currently has no cure, on 16th September I am going to be flying out to Tanzania and trekking 5,900 metres (over 19,000ft) up to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of Alzheimer's Society and their brilliant work. This is a highly challenging trek to take on, but as many of you know, I rarely give up or give in and I am determined to make it to the summit.

I took to the streets of Brighton on 21st February and completed the Sussex Beacon Half-Marathon in aid of this challenge. Thank you to all those who were there supporting, and please feel free to also sponsor me for this, as well as the climb. I came fourth in my age group, so there is definitely something to celebrate, despite the terrible weather!

Other fundraising challenges I have taken on, or am in the process of organising include bag-packing days in supermarkets, being part of the Waitrose Community Matters Green Token scheme, dinner parties, cake sales, and much much more...

Some information about the climb and the charity....

KILIMANJARO

- Kilimanjaro stands just under four miles vertically above the surrounding land. 

- The summit is less than 2,000 metres below the level of 'THE DEATH ZONE' a point where humans physically cannot survive.

- Temperatures range from 40C at the bottom, to -20C at the top!

- It is the highest point in Africa and the highest freestanding mountain in the world! 

ALZHEIMERS

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting around 417,000 people in the UK. The term 'dementia' is used to describe the symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases and conditions. This factsheet outlines the symptoms and risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, and describes what treatments are currently available.

During the course of the disease, 'plaques' and 'tangles' develop in the structure of the brain, leading to the death of brain cells. People with Alzheimer's also have a shortage of some important chemicals in their brains. These chemicals are involved with the transmission of messages within the brain.

Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, which means that gradually, over time, more parts of the brain are damaged. As this happens, the symptoms become more severe.

There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease. However, some drug treatments are available that can slow down the disease progression in some people. 

In order to do this, I need to raise a minimum of £3,600 which will go to Alzheimer's Society to help with research into finding a cure for this fatal disease.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now. It would mean so much to my Poppa, my family, and especially me.

Thank you so much for reading this,

Lots of love,

Meg

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