Elliott Harnett and his friend Tyler Mason Thomson-Raw, both aged 22, from Newton Aycliffe, and attended Woodham Academy. Together they are attempting a walk from John ‘O Groats to Lands End in aid of Alzheimers Research UK, as Elliott’s Grandma, Marj Hornby, has dementia and vascular arterial disease.

Our home has long been a place where many of Elliotts friends would gather, and she is well known to them all, Tyler is pretty special, fund raising alongside Elliott, for his Grandma.

They have watched her deteriorate, and this has affected Elliott deeply, as it has us all.

Elliott and Tyler have set up a GoFundMe page giving people the opportunity to sponsor them on this epic walk, they can also be found on Facebook (known as a JOGLE!-John @oGroats/LandsEnd), there are also collection boxes in McColls, Simpasture, which is where Tyler works (McColls have been very supportive of their effort) and Neville Parade and also at our home at 7 Bede Crescent.

Elliott said: “As of August 1, I will be walking from John ‘O Groats to Lands End, (874 miles) with my good friend Tyler Thomson-Raw, for Alzheimers Research UK. As most of my friends and family are aware, my Grandma suffers from Vascular Dementia and this is my motivation for doing this fundraiser. Watching someone you love slowly deteriorate and become less capable and confused with each passing day is soul destroying, and the stress it puts on the family is, at times, almost unbearable.”

“I wouldn’t wish this illness on anyone, and I certainly don’t want my own children to endure what we as a family are currently going through, so I want to go out and do something positive to help make a difference.”

Tyler’s mother, Sharon, cares for Grandma on a day to day basis, with Elliott, and it is difficult, there are so many aspects to her dementia, which at times they all struggle with. What she knows is that we keep her safe, she is secure in her environment, and we keep it real. Sometimes it’s hugely frustrating, but we laugh, a lot, and she is still Grandma/Mum.

If anyone would like to donate, the link on GoFundMe is “Walking the Length of Britain for ARUK” or any of the above mentioned options.

It would be awesome if our little community could really get behind these two amazing young men.