A 32-year-old man cycled all the way from Glasgow to Oxfordshire to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease.
David Farrar surprised his grandad, Steve who is a resident at Millers Grange care home in Witney and has been diagnosed with the condition.
David began the challenge on August 22 and cycled throughout the week arriving at his grandad’s care home yesterday (August 29).
READ MORE: Pizza restaurant shortlisted for national award
He is initially from Oxford but now lives in Glasgow’s West End and runs his own business.
Upon his arrival, Steve was shocked to see David and said: “It is wonderful what he has done.”
Steve used to work as an engineer in the Royal Air Force.
The 32-year-old explained before the challenge: "During lockdown, I took the opportunity to go and live with my grandpa for six months.
"It was the early stages at the time, and we didn't know how or what was affecting my grandpa.
"My family all live down in Oxford but I work and stay in Glasgow, so I had this mad idea of cycling home.
"The aim is to end my journey at his care home and surprise him, but to ultimately raise awareness for people as many families go through this and it is such a hard illness to deal with."
The journey was around 500 miles in total.
He started cycling from Glasgow to Edinburgh, then from Edinburgh to Berwick Upon Tweed, Berwick Upon Tweed to Sunderland, Sunderland to York and York to Sheffield.
He stopped to see an aunt in Sheffield before completing the final two legs of his journey, to Birmingham and then on to Witney.
David has raised nearly £3,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society which supports people with the disease.
A spokesperson for the charity said: “At Alzheimer’s Society we’re working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.
“We do this by giving help to those living with dementia today, and providing hope for the future by campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be and funding groundbreaking research.”
READ MORE: Breakthrough in hunt for thieves who stole £5m gold toilet
David added before the challenge: "It is simply overwhelming the messages I have had from people after I said I was doing this.
"My mum at the beginning was very worried about me doing it, but after discussing it more she has given me more support than I ever could have imagined.
"I am looking forward to turning up in Oxford and the surprise for my grandpa. It is all for a good cause."
If you would like to donate to Alzheimer’s Society, you can access David’s JustGiving page here.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here