Staff and students from Sunderland school pull on walking shoes for charity

The team from Richard Avenue Primary School took part in the recent Memory Walk at Bents Park in South Shields.

Rebecca Cherrett, a teacher at the Hurstwood Road school, said the school wanted to raise as much money as they could for the Alzheimer’s Society.

She said: “Every year the school chooses a charity to support and this year the children chose the Alzheimer’s Society.”

Sixteen people, including staff and some of the children, including the head boy and girl, took part in the walk.

Ms Cherrett, said: “It was a fabulous day, we had a really, really good time.”

As well as taking part in the sponsored Memory Walk, the school has also carried several other fundraising events for the charity, including a bake sale.

When all the money is collected in the school hopes to have raised around £2,000 for the charity, which is an amazing amount.

The group from Richard Avenue Primary School were among thousands of people who strode out to help in the fight against dementia and remember loved ones.

Around 3,500 people descended on Bents Park in South Shields for the third annual Alzheimer’s Society Memory Walk earlier this month.

It is expected to have raised £250,000 which will fund research into the disease and also support local services.

Dick from children’s TV presenting duo Dick and Dom started the walk and also took part in it.

Dick - real name Richard McCourt - who is an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “I lost my mum to dementia at quite a young age, 64, and ever since then I have done things like the London Marathon and cycle rides.

“I think memory walks are special because you get thousands of people who have all been affected in some way by dementia”

The Sunderland school group joined people of all ages who took part in the walks.

The Alzheimer’s Society has committed to spending £100million on research over the next ten years.