I'm taking part in the Walk 100K in June challenge to support families facing dementia.

Dementia is a very personal thing for me. My father, John Burden, was diagnosed with it towards the end of his otherwise long and impressive life.

He'd worked hard from a young age at playing the French Horn, and became one of the leading players in the country. His extraordinary talent secured his place on film and TV soundtracks, Beatles recordings and in leading orchestras, up until his retirement from performance in the 70s, when he took up a professorship at Trinity College of Music in London. And once retired from being a Professor of Horn, he taught all wind until he no longer could.

I like to think that having a relatively young family with two young sons in the late stages of his life kept him young.

In the early '00s, he had a stroke he never quite recovered from. And early stages of dementia gradually manifested and worsened until he passed on October 31st 2010, aged 89.

The impact dementia has on families can be devastating. And that's where vital organisations like Dementia UK come in. And that's why I'm walking to raise money for them.

Your donation, big or small, makes a difference.

Just £8 can cover the telephone costs for two families seeking support through Dementia UK's free Helpline.

£33 could fund a new dementia specialist Admiral Nurse to spend an hour helping a family in the community, offering practical solutions and emotional support to cope with their loved one’s behaviour.

Dementia UK is the specialist dementia nurse charity. Their nurses, called Admiral Nurses, provide life-changing care to families affected by all forms of dementia, including Alzheimers disease. They help people with dementia stay independent for longer, and support the people caring for them so they have the strength to cope with the bad days, and the energy to enjoy the good days. They have the time to listen and the knowledge to solve problems, helping families take back control when they are struggling.

During the month of June, track my progress on Pacer:

https://www.mypacer.com/challenges/B4LY81A8?short_id=YEphdY

And I'll post regular updates on social media throughout the month: https://linktr.ee/tristramburden

Pictures of my father

John Burden on the far right with Neill Sanders, James W. Buck and Tony Randell conducted by Paul McCartney during the Sgt. Pepper sessions.

Me and my dad, practicing the cornet.