On Sunday the 8th of June I’m walking coast-to-coast in memory of my Dad Rodney (Nobby) Clarke who passed away 18-months ago after suffering with Alzheimer’s disease. Jason Sawford who has also seen the impact and effects of Alzheimer’s disease will be joining me on the walk. We will be starting the coast-to-coast walk on the West of the UK in St Bee’s with a target of completing the 192 miles 7 days later in Robin Hood’s Bay on June the 15th, Father’s Day.

Alzheimer’s disease is a physical illness which damages a person’s brain. This eventually causes dementia, affecting memory and thinking. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease affects everyone differently. For most people, Alzheimer’s disease starts in and around the part of the brain involved in memory as it did for my Dad. It was hard to watch as his memory’s faded and he struggled to recognise the family members that have been by his side over the years.

We would like to use the walk to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society who are made up of people with dementia, carers, trusted experts, campaigners, researchers and clinicians. Alzheimer’s Society are the UK’s largest collective force of people with unparalleled knowledge and over 40 years of experience addressing the biggest challenges facing people living with dementia.

Last year donations to Alzheimer’s Society helped Invest £12.2 million in cutting-edge research. Research to beat dementia, and funding for the most promising projects, Alzheimer’s Society supporters are accelerating the progress to new ways of diagnosing, caring for, and treating people with dementia.

Any amount would be greatly appreciated and will help to support Alzheimer’s Society take on the effects of this cruel disease and invest in trying to find treatments.