Residents and staff at an Edinburgh care home have joined a fundraising challenge that pays tribute to people with dementia by walking more than three miles around their gardens.
More than a dozen residents and staff from HC-One Scotland’s Murrayfield House Care Home have teamed up to take part in Alzheimer Scotland’s Memory Walk fundraising campaign.
With the aid of frames and wheelchairs, the residents – aged from 77 to 97 – have been walking around the care home’s gardens and along nearby Murrayfield Avenue, gathering donations in local shops along the way.
Led by wellbeing coordinator Margaret Finch, the walkers aim to complete the 5km challenge in stages over a number of days.
They have already raised more than £1,000 and counting – smashing their initial target of £300 – but hope to raise even more vital funds to support dementia care, research and improvements in brain health.
Margaret, 63, from the city’s Silverknowes area, has worked at Murrayfield House Care Home for five years.
She said: “The residents and staff were keen to do the Memory Walk because so many of us have either had support from Alzheimer Scotland or have a loved one who has been affected by dementia. My late mum had vascular dementia so I’ve had first-hand experience of the impact this illness can have.
“Alzheimer Scotland do such important work – funding research and fighting the stigma around dementia – and we are all determined to raise as much money as we can for them.
“Our manager Fiona Truesdale gave us the idea to organise the Memory Walk and we’ve had such great support for it from the whole team, including my fellow wellbeing coordinator Norma Mackie.
“The residents have loved putting on their purple t-shirts and taking part.”
One of the oldest walkers is 96-year-old retired engineer Douglas Lamond. Douglas said: “I like to keep fit by doing exercises every morning, so I was delighted to take part in the Memory Walk and cheer the group on.”
Other walkers included Doreen Hall, 88, who lives at the home with husband David, 88, and Elspeth Braidwood, 80, a former Sunday school teacher who used to work at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.
Doreen’s daughter Debbie said: “My mum Doreen has dementia and Alzheimer Scotland have been a great support, not just for her but also for my dad David who cared for her when they both lived in their own home.
“It’s wonderful that they have the opportunity to support the charity through the Memory Walk.”
The Memory Walk campaign allows people across Scotland to take part in organised events throughout September, or to complete the challenge at a time and place that suits them by doing Your Walk, Your Way.
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.
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.
“Scotland’s Memory Walk has always had a wonderful ability to bring people together. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the lives of people with dementia and walk to remember them. Every pound raised helps Alzheimer Scotland continue to develop and deliver vital dementia support.”
- To find out more and to sign up for Scotland’s Memory Walk, visit memorywalk.alzscot.org
- Sponsor the Murrayfield House Care Home team via Margaret Finch’s JustGiving page.