Ladies and Gentlemen, the ascent to the summit of Kilimanjaro is, seriously, the toughest physical and mental challenge I have ever completed; it may well be the hardest thing I ever do, period!

 

I never really believed that the mere act of putting one foot in front of the other could drain so much from ones diminishing reserves of energy at altitude.  The relief on summiting is all encompassing and the desire to descend rapidly, unrelenting.

 

To those considering testing your personal limits, I commend you to consider this challenge but I do not intend to return!

 

I set out on a goal to raise as much money as I could for the Alzheimer's Society in memory of my grandmother.  The struggle with dementia in her later years was horrible to witness and has left an indelible mark on our family.  I am delighted to say that I am well on my way to achieving my personal fundraising target of £5,000 but as a group, including a corporate fundraising group from Santander, we have raised in excess of £120,000 (and counting).

 

It is not too late to make a contribution...I remind you of my own personal story:

 

The last time I saw my grandmother, she didn't know who I was...a few days later I received the call I'd been dreading, she had died.  In a weird way, the relief was palpable, but the void she has left in my life and that of my family is still extremely raw.

 

The worst thing about my grandmother's final years was the onset of dementia.  In the end, she died alone and without any knowledge of where or who she was; she had no memory of the rich and varied life she led or the family she left behind.

 

Dementia is a term used to describe various different brain disorders that have in common a loss of brain function that is usually progressive and eventually severe. 1 in 3 people over 65 will die with some form of dementia; in less than 20 years nearly a million people will be living with dementia.  The Alzheimer's Society is leading the fight against Dementia, providing support for carers and people with dementia as well as joining the fight to find a cure. I'm delighted to be supporting the society in this way.

 

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