It was less than 10 years after this picture that Mary's Alzheimer's was finally diagnosed - and then only a brief 2 years remained before her recent death.  In the last 18 months this cruel disease ruined her life - rapidly stripping away all her vibrancy, enjoyment in life and family and friends, and even her ability to communicate her thoughts and wishes.  My lovely gentle wife was only 71 when her end came - at a time when most of us are enjoying our well-earned retirements.

Mary was just one of 850,000 sufferers in the UK - but the most important one to me!  So, that is why I want to do something that will help others suffering in the same way.

The Alzheimer’s Society is transforming the landscape of dementia forever.  This comes both through help and advice locally to individual sufferers, or by the pursuit of major drug research programmes (that are beginning to show encouraging signs for the first time in twenty years).

13 miles is a scary distance for someone who has never done any sponsored energetic activity, but the work of the Alzheimer's society is so important - every donation (small or large) will really help:

 -  £50 raised will keep 312 people each day connected to the online 'help' space, where a trouble shared is a trouble halved.

 -  £115 raised can buy a year of weekly check in calls to a sufferer - an 'invisible friend', helping with their loneliness.