Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I'm running the Manchester Marathon on 29th April to support the Alzheimer's Society with their Singing for the Brain sessions. It is now over 12 months since Dad passed away but at least some good has come from donations made following his funeral. The Alzheimer’s Society in Preston was able to run their first Singing for the Brain session and then secured further money from Lancashire County Council and NHS Central Lancashire to fund a pilot project.

Although Dad didn't have Alzheimer's he was always very supportive of my sister, Beverley's work for the charity. It was the first time ‘Singing for the Brain’ sessions have been held in the county but the scheme has proved to be successful elsewhere in the country.

Singing can provide a way for people with dementia, along with their carers, to express themselves and socialise with others in a fun and supportive group.

Whereas memories are hard to retrieve, music is especially easy to recall and the activities build on the well-known preserved memory for song and music in the brain.

In memory of Dad, each session will end with an emotional rendition of "Goodbye" complete with handkerchiefs - he would be very proud and so are we!

I would like to raise more money in order that the Singing for the Brain sessions can continue even longer.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease or any other type of dementia.

There are 750,000 people with dementia in the UK with numbers set to rise to more than 1 million by 2021. This will soar to 1.7 million by 2050.

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.

So please dig deep and donate now.