At the end of May I will be running in the BUPA London 10,000 event for The Alzheimer’s Society. I hope to complete in 55 minutes and with a prevailing wind, I might even manage under 50 minutes. But the time isn’t important, it is completing for the Alzheimer’s Society.

Dementia is frighteningly common; in fact, in London alone there are 68,000 people with dementia and only an estimated 39% have been diagnosed. That means that over 40,000 people in London are struggling alone and frightened of something that is happening to them that they don’t understand.

I am particularly keen to help those with Alzheimer’s because my nan suffered from early onset dementia and so I have firsthand experience of the struggles caused by it. Alzheimer’s Disease is caused by chemicals, changing the structure of the brain and essentially killing brain cells. We all joke about short term memory loss as we grow older, but this is a whole lot more serious. This can hit you like amnesia; you don’t recognise your own family, you have sudden mood swings and then perhaps a moment of clarity when you remember a long forgotten detail. But like a footprint in the sand, it is gone again before you’ve had time to make a note of it. You can wake up in the middle of the night, not knowing where you are or what you are doing there.

It is not just the person with Alzheimer’s that can suffer, but also the close family and friends trying to help them. It can be incredibly wearing and frustrating for the close friends and family. Having help around to support both those suffering and those close to them is hugely important.

The Alzheimer's Society provides both information and services to people affected by dementia. They provide both day care and home care for people with dementia, as well as support and befriending services to help partners and families cope with the demands of caring. I think it is hugely important to donate money towards supporting over 750,000 people with dementia in Britain. It’s not pretty and it’s not glamorous, but one day it could be us needing that help, which is why I’ve pledged to raise £200 for the Alzheimer’s Society.

So please help me, even if you’ve only got £1 to give and put it towards making a difference today.