Hi, I'm Caroline and thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page!

Let me tell you a bit about myself first. I'm a third year student of Horticulture at the Scottish Agricultural College and the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh. I'm also a keen member of the Forest Choir and the Edinburgh University African and Arabic Dance Society.

On Sunday 15th April 2012, I'm going to be running the Edinburgh Rock n Roll Half Marathon, to raise money for Alzheimer Scotland.  This is a great charity who provide help and support to those with Dementia, and their families and carers.

I'm sure, like me, you've heard of Alzheimers many times before, but you may be surprised to learn that it's just one form of Dementia, alongside other types such as Vascular Dementia, Lewy body dementia, and Frontotemporal dementia. People can sometimes have two forms of Dementia at once, such as Alzheimers and Vascular Dementia.

I wanted to do something to help this worthwhile cause, as like many people, I have had family members who have suffered from Dementia. So, I know how difficult it can be, not only to watch it happen to someone you love, but for the sufferers themselves, who can sometimes be aware of their own decline.

The truth is that many of them are not very old when they are diagnosed.  They can be in their 40s or younger. Over time, the person can lose their memory, often not recognising even close family members and friends. They may undergo a complete personality transformation, and this can be very hard for their loved ones to handle.

They all need support and practical help. This is where Alzheimer Scotland come in. They provide day centres,  home support services, drop-in centres, support groups, carer education, one-to-one support, welfare rights, information and advice.

They also campaign for increased and more flexible services, higher standards of care, improved protection for the legal and human rights of people with dementia, and greater financial help.

Words like Alzheimers and Dementia may scare many people and  make them nervous. No-one wants to imagine it will happen to them or someone they love, and so they often prefer just not to think about it. I know, because the same is true of me, or at least it was....

Which is why I wanted to do something proactive, something to help. I've run for charity before, but never as far as a half marathon. So this is a very big deal for me in more ways than one.

With your help, I can reach my target of £500 for Alzheimer Scotland. 

So please, please help me by donating to this worthwhile cause through this JustGiving page.

Or if you don't like donating online, and you know me, I am happy to take cash donations ;o)

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Even if you can only spare a few pounds, I'd be very grateful as every contribution will count a great deal towards achieving my goal ;o)

Thanks again,

Caroline x

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.