Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

My whole family and I are doing the Alzheimer's Society's "memory walk" this year for both my paternal grandmother (Betty Brinkman) who died in early July this year and my step-grandmother on my Mum's side (Nancy Nicolls) who died in 2009.

Nanny Brinkman lived with the gradual decline of dementia for about 7 years, which began shortly after my Grandad died. It was as though part of her didn't want to be here without the man that she had spent most of her life with. It was terribly sad to watch a lady who had been so capable and full of life deteriorate. As a friend at her funeral said "she was always so happy" and nothing made her happier than looking after others.

Having watched so many people close to me battle with various types of mental health problems, I have come to realise how little we really understand about the brain and how and why things go wrong. I therefore feel strongly that research in this area is incredibly important. The Alzheimer's Society fund research into the cause, cure, care and prevention of dementia, to improve treatment for people today, and search for a cure for tomorrow.

Please give what you can to help fund this vital work which will help ensure that future generations of grandparents remain healthy in later life.

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.