19th May 2020

An apprentice tree surgeon cycled 40 miles across Salisbury Plain to deliver his grandfather's newspaper during lockdown - and raised nearly £1,000 for Alzheimer's Support.

As the parents of dementia adviser, Tara Slater, have been unable to go shopping to get a paper since lockdown began, her son George decided he would deliver the Western Daily Press, which they have read for more than 50 years, by bike. He decided to make the delivery part of the charity's fundraising Virtual Walk to Remember, and raised £926 in sponsorship. 

George said: “I’ve been on furlough from my job as an apprentice tree surgeon since lockdown started and have been going out on my bike racking up the miles, so thought I would do it for a good cause instead.” 

George’s mother Tara works as a dementia adviser for Alzheimer’s Support, so the choice of which charity to support was an easy one for him, plus he hadn’t seen his grandparents since lockdown started.

“My granddad was so happy to see me and the paper, he’d even spray painted a sign outside their house. I didn’t know about that and it was so nice to see it as I came down the hill towards them. The most I’ve ever cycled is 15-20 miles, so my legs ached on Sunday.”

Bruce Portch, Tara's father and George's grandfather said: "I always thought it was a great idea. He's always supporting his mother."

Donate to George's fundraising page 

A Virtual Walk to Remember