County Down woman set to walk from Banbridge to Dublin to raise money for Alzheimer's Society

Caroline and her family aim to raise £10,000 for Alzheimer’s Society by taking on this challenge and she is set to begin her journey at 10am on Saturday August 5 from Church Square, Banbridge.

Caroline explained: “I have decided to take part in this challenge for Alzheimer’s Society because my dad passed away in January this year due to this horrible illness.

"I felt so helpless as a daughter and a former nurse that I couldn’t make him better, so I thought about what I could do after he passed away.

"He was rendered unable to walk so my thinking was, ‘well at least I could do that’, and so began the plan to walk ‘John’s Journey’ back to Dublin. My father had lived in Dublin until 2019, he then came to Banbridge to live near me so I could care for him and my mum.

"It’s great to think that we will be raising funds and awareness to help support people living with dementia and to fund research to one day find a cure.”

Rebecca Neill, Community Fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society in Northern Ireland said: “We are extremely grateful to Caroline who is aiming to raise an amazing amount of £10,000 for Alzheimer’s Society.

"There are estimated to be 22,000 people living with dementia in Northern Ireland and too many are facing it alone. We want everyone affected by dementia to know that whoever you are, whatever you’re going through, you can turn to Alzheimer’s Society for practical advice, emotional support, and guidance.

"Last year, Alzheimer’s Society services were used over 4.2 million times and people tell us this support is a real lifeline.

"Thanks to the generous support of fundraisers like Caroline Alzheimer’s Society can continue to be there as a vital source of support and a powerful force for change for everyone affected by dementia.”

It’s not too late to sponsor Caroline. If you would like to help her reach her target of £10,000, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/caroline-de-lacy to donate.