AN NHS mental health wellbeing practitioner from Shepton Mallet is inviting anyone whose family has been affected by dementia to boost her fundraising effort on behalf of Alzheimer’s Society when she runs the Bath Half Marathon on March 16.
Jessica Robertson shared why the cause is so close to her heart, having witnessed first-hand the challenges dementia brings to individuals and their families.
She has pledged to do the 13.1 mile run in honour of her grandfather Brian Webster, who was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2018, and in memory of her grandmother Maureen Webster, who died in May 2024.
Jess said: “Grandad is really well cared for at St Benedict’s Nursing Home but witnessing his decline with dementia has been heartbreaking, so when I decided to run the half marathon Alzheimer’s Society was the obvious charity for me to support, and staff at the home are helping spread the word about my fundraising.
“More people are being diagnosed with dementia every year so the charity’s work helping create a world where every person affected by the condition gets the support and care they deserve is really vital.
“Initially my target was £300, but friends and family have already committed £450, so I’m hoping I might end up with twice as much as I’d hoped. I’m very committed to raising as much as I can.”
The link to Jess’s fundraising page is https://bathhalf2025.enthuse.com/pf/jessica-robertson