'Celtic Cake Ride' cyclists ride 400 miles from Dover to Pembrokeshire for Alzheimer’s Society

The group are aiming to raise £10,000 in sponsorship from the ride, which has become an annual tradition.

Cycling almost one hundred miles a day, the four strong team of staff members took just under 4 days to complete the challenge, which was completed in particularly sweltering weather for the time of year. Friends and supporters joined the main group of cyclists for portions of the ride, and they were met by Society staff and volunteers to cheer them on at checkpoints along the way.

Paul Graddon, Site Director at Memory Lane Cakes, explains how the tradition of the marathon cycle began and what led them to support Alzheimer's Society this year:

'Last year we decided to do a cycle for charity, and ended up raising £10,000 for good causes. My father sadly passed away recently after suffering with dementia, and as the condition deepened he recognised and remembered less and less. As people live longer, so dementia has more chance of impacting on all our lives. There are ways to help people with dementia and the people around them, and the more we raise for charities like Alzheimer's Society, the faster research into finding a cure can take place.'

'The ride was particularly tough this year, with temperatures reaching as high as 32 degrees on occasions, and we had a fair few hills to cycle up along the way. It was fantastic to be able to join in with the Olympic torch relay in Port Talbot, hopefully that will have really contributed to raising awareness and helping us raise even more this year!'

It's not too late to sponsor the team. If you would like to help them reach their fundraising target then visit their JustGiving page

Claire Carwardine, Alzheimer's Society Community Fundraising Support Officer for Wales, thanked the team for their dedication:

'We are extremely grateful to all the members of the Celtic Cake Ride team and the staff at Memory Lane Cakes for the time and energy they have put into raising money for Alzheimer's Society. We rely on the generosity of local businesses to help us support people to live well with dementia today and fund research for tomorrow.'

From running your local 5K to trekking the Inca Trail, cycling from London to Paris to parachuting, Alzheimer's Society has a fantastic range of events both in the UK and abroad. The fundraising team can offer people support and advice to help them get started. To find out more, please visit our events page or call 0870 417 0192.

To find out more about Dementia Awareness Week visit: www.alzheimers.org.uk/remembertheperson