A Manchester Grammar School (MGS) pupil helped raise £1,200 for the Alzheimer’s Society after being inspired by his grandmother to take on a Memory Walk.
Tom Regan-Hammersley, 17, from Cheadle Hulme, and his friends Rohan Chopra, 16, Mason Edmonds, 16, and Mason’s brother Harrison, 20, took part in the 10km Memory Walk in Heaton Park to raise money, and awareness, of the charity.
Tom’s grandmother, Freda, was recently diagnosed with vascular dementia so Tom, Rohan and Mason, who are all pupils at MGS, joined friends and family to make up Team Freda La Diva, walking the 10K on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Society.
He said: “I did the Memory Walk in honour of Freda. No one calls her grandma. She is a free spirit and has always hated labels. She is independent, clever, kind and funny.
“She is a completely different person now. She has had her independence stolen from her, and she valued that so much.
“Sometimes she comes back to me and the witty comments fly again, I love that – they are happy times for my family. I remember that she is Freda Regan, she will always be Freda Regan, my Freda.
“The Memory Walks across the UK help to raise awareness about dementia and fund research to try and stop this awful disease, so myself and my friends wanted to do the walk and do our bit to prevent dementia affecting anyone else’s grandparent, mum, dad, son or daughter.”
Tom’s mum, and Freda’s daughter Debs, said: “Dementia is infiltrating and destroying families every day. We see this first-hand with Freda and we are all eager to make people’s lives better in whatever way we can which is why we did the walk.
“I am so proud of the boys and MGS should be too.”
