An 85-year-old man has touched hearts in his efforts to raise support for the Alzheimer's Society and his fellow residents with dementia, despite his own struggles with Parkinson's.
Neil Cordell, a resident at Thorp House nursing home in Griston, near Watton, took to a local cycle path to walk 85 steps, one for each year of his life, as part of the Alzheimer's Society Memory Walk.
The sponsored walk aims to raise funds to support people affected by dementia.
Every step is a struggle for Mr Cordell due to his Parkinson's disease, but he was determined to take them "out of respect for fellow residents" at the home.
His steps on Stan's Walk, which were cheered on by staff at the Kingsley Healthcare home, were double the amount he hoped to achieve.
Marcia Hughes, activities coordinator, said: “It was really heart warming with members of the public stopping and asking what we were doing, so it brought lots of awareness to a very good cause.
“One man was so touched when he stopped and found out that Neil had Parkinson’s, he told us his nan also had Parkinson’s and donated there and then straight to Alzheimer’s.”
Mrs Hughes added that the cause is close to their hearts as many residents were living with dementia.
The Memory Walk also prompted fond reflections of hikes in the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District for Mr Cordell, who was a keen walker in his younger years.
He said: “My favourite coast to coast walk was from Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay, and I also did a 50-mile walk in Norfolk in the dark.
"I am still a member of the Youth Hostel Association (YHA), which I joined in the 1960s in Kessick, it was an Easter weekend and we climbed Scarfell Pike, which I climbed twice."
Following his efforts, the 85-year-old, who has raised £35 in sponsorships, was presented with a certificate and Memory Walk medal by home manager Binu Augustine.
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