When asked to climb into the cockpit, and then being asked to climb onto the wing, I suddenly realised how silly all this was.

To the right, some family and friends watched as I was nervously attached to the top of the plane, and was told under no circumstance to unbuckle myself when flying, unless it catches fire and we are close to the ground. The plane catching fire hadn't actually been on my list of concerns. Until that moment, my biggest fear had been being hit in the face by a pigeon, not being strapped in well enough and having to hang on, or being clumsy and tripping up into the propeller at the start

Now the moment had come, and the propellers began to turn... 

As an interim grants manager at Alzheimer's Support, I've witnessed the amazing work of the charity for a while now, and love their approach to ensuring people live well with dementia,  to end isolation and loneliness.

They have a really clever approach to ensuring people from all backgrounds are treated as individuals, that carers are equally empowered to carry out their roles, that communities and businesses become dementia friendly, and that we work with health professionals and agencies to make massive changes to how dementia is dealt with in our county and our neighbourhoods.  So when the opportunity for the wing walk, as it is known, came along, I felt it was a perfect way to do what I could to contribute to their work.

Friday was a cold but beautifully sunny, and a perfect day to be flying, turning, falling and rising attached to the top a plane.

It was such a great experience that I would love to do it again. I’m so happy to be able to have done it in aid of Alzheimer’s Support, which is now a charity very close to my heart, that provided plenty of support.

So far we have raised over £300 from the plane ride. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone that has donated, as it really helped when I turned up and realised what I’d signed up to! I actually did feel less alone up there knowing that I'd had the support of family, friends, and work colleagues.

I’d encourage anyone who believes in the work that Alzheimer’s Support to do to challenge themselves, raise awareness of dementia in our communities, and help fund our vital work throughout Wiltshire.

If you'd like to support me you can donate here