Frankie and Alison will be lacing up their walking boots and tackling a 26-mile trek along the Northumberland coastline to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society on July 18 this year. They are looking forward to going back to their old stomping ground, which they love so much.

But there’s a serious side to the endeavour too. They were inspired to choose this charity because Alison’s father - Frankie’s beloved Grandpa - suffered from Alzheimer’s. John Steel was a hugely kind, funny, and intelligent man who spent his life helping others throughout the world - as an academic at Newcastle University and a consultant to World Health Organisation.

In his later years Alzheimer’s - this terrible condition for which we badly need to find a cure - robbed him of his warm personality and outstanding intellect. His experience will inspire Frankie and Alison every step of their long trek.

They are so grateful for any support you can give them.

Practical note: Frankie and Alison were originally going to trek 13 miles, but decided to upgrade to 26 miles to challenge themselves. It wasn’t possible to change their profile pages to reflect the new distance, but they are definitely doing it!