A fundraising walk that pays tribute to people with dementia is returning to Edinburgh in September.
Alzheimer Scotland’s Memory Walk 2024 takes place on Sunday, 8 September and will raise vital funds to support dementia care, research and improvements in brain health.
People across the area are being encouraged to sign up for the outing at Meadowbank Stadium, where they can walk in memory of loved ones affected by the illness.
The Edinburgh event is one of four Memory Walks taking place across Scotland through every weekend in September.
Those looking to take part can sign up at memorywalk.alzscot.org.
Events are taking place in Inverness, Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow. Tickets cost just £10 for adults and children can be registered for free. It’s quick and easy to set up a sponsorship page, which can be shared with family, friends and colleagues.
Every penny raised will help people with dementia and their carers, as well as supporting better brain health for everyone in Scotland.
Scotland’s Memory Walk is also about celebrating the lives of people with dementia and walking to remember them.
Cathy Cooney, 61, will be taking part in Edinburgh Memory Walk 2024 in memory of her mum Mary who died of vascular dementia in 2019 aged 83. She will also be walking for two close friends who have been affected by young onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Cathy, a retired senior business analyst based in Edinburgh, said: “Taking part in Memory Walk is important to me because my mum and two good friends have been affected by it. I haven’t done anything in their memory before and this event is a great opportunity to do something for them.
“My mum Mary passed away in 2019 after being diagnosed with vascular dementia. She was a tiny lady – just 4ft 11 and a half inches tall – but she was such a kind person who loved her family and her bingo.
“I’ll also be remembering my friend Alison who was diagnosed with young onset Alzheimer’s and passed away in 2020 aged just 57. We met through work and anytime my old colleagues and I get together we always remember her and what an amazing woman she was. She was so intelligent and finished her Master’s degree despite being in the early stages of her illness.
“Another friend, Lorna, is only 62 and was diagnosed with young onset Alzheimer’s in 2022, so I’ll be thinking of her too.
“Alzheimer Scotland is such a great cause and I hope that any money raised might help towards making progress in finding ways to prevent and treat this illness.”
Lauren Heap, centre manager for Alzheimer Scotland’s Edinburgh and West Lothian Brain Health and Dementia Resource Centre, said: “Alzheimer Scotland is proud to support people living with dementia and their families and carers, from our centre here in Edinburgh.
“We are absolutely delighted to host this fantastic new Memory Walk in Edinburgh. It is such a special event and it will be wonderful to walk alongside our supporters again in the local community.
“Scotland’s Memory Walk has always had a wonderful ability to bring people together. Every pound raised helps Alzheimer Scotland continue to develop and deliver vital dementia support. We can’t wait to see Meadowpark Stadium filled with a sea of purple t-shirts.”
To find out more and to sign up for Scotland’s Memory Walk, visit:
