A courageous group of pals are taking on a mammoth challenge today by kayaking 100 kilometres around the Isle of Arran for Dementia UK.
Max Pickles, 32, from Ayr, has called upon his mates to help him raise £5,000 for the charity in honour of dad Andrew, 73, who was diagnosed with dementia last year.
The challenge will see dad-of-one Max kayak 100 km around Arran in unforgiving maritime conditions alongside pals Matthew Kinloch, Archie Crawford, Chris Thomson, Aaron Newcombe and Chris Sleigh.
Max, a self-employed property manager, said: “I’m not particularly confident in water at the best of times so that’s another reason why it’s going to be quite a challenge.
“The fact that I’ve got five other guys who are all quite keen on their outdoor pursuits gives you a bit of solace, but it’s still quite nerve-wracking.
“We are all fairly close — although I’m not sure how close we’ll be after five days in such close quarters when we have to put up with each other!"
The team, who have so far raised a whopping £3,822 of their target, will spend their first night in a bunk house near Brodick Castle before wild camping the remainder of the journey.
Granddad-of-one Andrew, a retired accountant at William Duncan + Co in Ayr, former Ayr Rugby Club star and keen fundraiser himself, was diagnosed with mixed dementia last year.
Max said: “At the moment he’s alright, still very capable, out doing a lot of walking, still plays his golf and watches cricket and rugby on the TV.
“We’re fortunate enough with dad that we’ve not had to call on any nurses at the moment.
“But Dementia UK have been fantastic at giving us the information that we will need in the future and letting us know what channels to go down and who to call upon.
“It’s a great charity and it was a no-brainer for me.
“Dad’s dead excited for the challenge. I think he’s not sure if he thinks we’re crazy or brave!
Max hopes doing the challenge not only coins in much needed funds for the charity, but also opens up conversations surrounding dementia.
He added: “Unfortunately there is still a stigma with dementia, which is not necessarily negative, it’s just people are a bit scared to approach the subject.
“For someone whose dad is living with dementia, you just want to make everyone know that it’s not as terrifying to talk about as you might think.
“It helps the person with the illness too- whether that’s dementia, other mental illnesses or cancer- that you can talk about it and gives them support as well as make them feel comfortable.”
You can donate at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/paddling-for-dementia
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