Local full time carer, Simone Daniel (29) put on her walking shoes today and warmed up to launch Alzheimer’s Society’s Birmingham Memory Walk.

Simone, who cares for her grandmother Daisy who has Alzheimer’s disease, was joined by daughter Rael Daniel-Smith (10) and followed exercises performed by fitness instructors from Virgin Active.

Simone, who cares for her grandmother Daisy who has Alzheimer’s disease, was joined by daughter Rael Daniel-Smith (10) and followed exercises performed by fitness instructors from Virgin Active. It was their first training session for the event, which is taking place on Sunday 25 September in Cannon Hill Park.

Memory Walk is Alzheimer’s Society’s flagship fundraising event which sees walks taking place around the UK throughout September. There are currently over 1,800 people living with dementia in Birmingham and this is expected to rise to almost 2,100 by 2021. The money raised by the Birmingham Memory Walk will help fund vital local services for people with dementia and their carers, such as Dementia Cafes and Support Services.

Simone from Birmingham, said: ‘I will be walking Memory Walk with my grandmother, Daisy, who has Alzheimer’s Disease and my daughter Rael. I care for Daisy full time so I really appreciate the importance of the work Alzheimer’s Society does.

‘I took part in Memory Walk last year and had a really lovely day out. I raised over £200 for local Alzheimer’s Society services and this year I hope to raise even more. I would encourage everyone to sign up and enjoy a day out with their loved ones.’

Ryan Siviter – personal trainer from Virgin Active, Rael and Simone

Janice Connolly, Locality Manager for Alzheimer’s Society in the Midlands said: ‘Memory Walk is an excellent opportunity for families and friends to get together and enjoy a day to remember with lots of entertainment and refreshments, whilst also helping to raise funds for local services.

‘This year is the tenth anniversary of Memory Walk and I would encourage everyone to sign up and help us celebrate.’

Lauren Hemsley, representative from Birmingham’s Virgin Active said: ‘I am delighted that Alzheimer’s Society has asked us to help out with the launch of this fantastic event. We will also be present on the day of the walk to help people warm up and raise their energy levels.

‘A lot of people are unaware but leading a healthy lifestyle consisting of regular exercise and eating a balanced diet can reduce a person’s risk of dementia by up to a third.’

Simone Daniel (mum), Rael Daniel-Smith

Memory Walk 2011 is being held in partnership with Bupa. Together, Alzheimer’s Society and Bupa aim to support more people living with dementia through the vital funds that are raised.

The Birmingham Memory Walk will take place at 12:00 in Cannon Hill Park on Sunday 25 September. To register for the Memory Walk please visit Memorywalk.org.uk or call 0207 423 3646.