My name is Bernard Bunting. I am a 67-year-old husband, father, former soldier and founder of a family business, and I live with Young Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, diagnosed in 2022.

My goal is to raise £1 million, in aid of The National Brain Appeal, to support the very first specialist centre for Rare Dementia Support centre by cycling around the coast of Britain. This is an ambitious fundraising target and to achieve this I need to involve as many people as possible in attempting to raise this significant sum.

On 18th May I departed from Putney Bridge, London on a 4,200-mile solo bike ride round the coast of Britain.

I have always been a keen cyclist and undertaken many cycling challenges, and now I am getting ready for this, my biggest and most important challenge yet…

I will be covering all my own accommodation and food expenses along the journey, so every penny raised will go directly to the running costs of the Rare Dementia Support Centre, including staffing, developing services and funding activities offered there, which will open in early 2026 in Woburn Square, London. 

I am hoping to find 100,000 supporters who will donate £10 and then spread the word to at least 20 friends about my challenge. If you can donate more than £10, fantastic! So please share this link with as many people as you can.

Over about seven weeks, I intend to cycle c. 4,200 miles. I will post regular updates on my website as I make my way round the country starting from Putney Bridge, London, via the white cliffs of Dover, Land’s End, John O’ Groats and back down the East Coast through Edinburgh, round Norfolk to Essex and returning along the north bank of the Thames back to Putney Bridge.

For more information on my challenge; the Rare Dementia Centre and my blog, please visit roundbritainbybike.co.uk

I am grateful and inspired by the support given to me and my family by the incredible, dedicated experts, but there is scope for the Rare Dementia Support centre to deliver so much more and significant funds need to be raised to deliver them, and this is where I want to do what I can to help.

Every donation and share of my JustGiving page will take me a step closer to my £1 million goal and support this important centre. Thank you.

To find our more please visit: nationalbrainappeal.org/rare-dementia-support and www.raredementiasupport.org/news/rds-centre/