So, in August of this year i travelled up to Carlisle to take part in a 26 mile charity walk across Hadrian's Wall to raise money and awareness for the Alzheimer's Society. It was hard going at times but i remained focused and managed to finish in 8 and a half hours.  

    I know first hand the devastating effects Alzheimer's can have on a family as it's something that hit very close to home when I was in my early teens, but before I go into that, I want to tell you a little more about the disease and what the Alzheimer's Society do for the cause.

    Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting around 496,000 people in the UK. The term 'dementia' describes a set of symptoms which can include loss of memory, mood changes, and problems with communication and reasoning. These symptoms occur when the brain is damaged by certain diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer's disease. Dementia is NOT a natural part of ageing!

    Two thirds of people with dementia are women. Unfortunately my nanny Ruby was one of these women and her death, like 60,000 others a year, was directly attributed to dementia.

    It's not something I've opened up much about to be honest, but I took her death pretty hard. I barely spoke to anyone for a good month or so after, which feels strange now coming from a singer because you'll have a hard job shutting me up these days! :)