Local family raise thousands for childhood dementia charity

On Sunday 30th August, Duncan Walker and his family decided to take on a 6-mile hike on the Pennine Trail, determined to raise funds for a charity close to their hearts - Childhood Dementia Initiative.

Duncan was diagnosed with dementia in his early 50s, which shocked his family as they thought he was “too young” to be affected by the condition.

After his own diagnosis, Duncan and his family then discovered that there are conditions that can lead to childhood dementia. So, they decided to host a charity hike to help give valuable support to those who need it.

Duncan and his family told the Tameside Reporter that their main aim is to spread the message that “dementia doesn’t just affect older people.”

“We want to raise awareness and help others understand dementia, especially for the children experiencing it from a young age.”

What is childhood dementia?

Childhood dementia results from progressive brain damage, caused by over 100 rare genetic conditions, causing symptoms including memory loss, confusion, loss of speech, and more.

Over time, dementia damages children’s brains more and more, and they progressively lose skills they’ve already developed, such as the ability to write, read, talk, walk, and play. Their brains also lose the ability to keep the body functioning properly and, eventually, to keep the body alive.

Although rare, it is estimated that over 200 children pass away every year in the UK as a result of childhood dementia.

As someone who has a background in working with children, Duncan explained that the discovery of this condition and the number of children affected by it broke his heart, so he wanted to give something back to the community.

The money raised will go to a good cause

The money raised will go to Childhood Dementia Initiative, an Australian charity whose work helps people worldwide. Established in 2020, it hopes to “accelerate the development of treatments and improve accessibility and quality of care for children with dementia”.

The family set an original target of A$2,000 and, after exceeding it two weeks into the fundraising period, increased their target to A$4,000.

With support from the public, sponsorships, raffle tickets, and auctions, they have now raised an amazing total of A$10,905.33.

Despite the bleak weather, Walk With Duncan saw 100 walkers take on the hike, and over 200 people then attended the fundraising after-event in The Jolly Hatters pub in Denton.

Duncan and his family told the Reporter they are proud of what everyone achieved together. They thank those who got involved, saying, “We honestly couldn’t have done it without everyone”.

They hope that their efforts will inspire more local fundraising in the future.