A Helensburgh man is cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats in memory of his late father who suffered from dementia.

Graham Walker, also known as ‘Whisky Walker’, set off from Cornwall on his 1,080-mile journey on Tuesday, May 21 to raise cash for Dogs for Good – a charity which helps people with a variety of conditions, including dementia.

Graham has seen first-hand the transformative impact of the charity – which works with Alzheimer Scotland – as he and his springer spaniel Betty volunteer with them through their Dog Day programme.

Held on the last Wednesday of every month at Alzheimer Scotland's Helensburgh dementia resource centre in West Princes Street, the initiative allows local people with dementia to interact with dogs.

Graham said: “You can see the change in people when they’re around the dogs.

“We have an ex-policeman who had a spaniel, and he loves it.

“It’s a pleasure to see what the dogs can do for people.

“It’s good for both the person with dementia and their carer because they get an hour off.”

The Helensburgh Dog Day sessions currently have a wait list, as each slot can only accommodate eight people - four with dementia and one carer for each - but the centre desperately wants to be able to expand their programme.

By raising money for Dogs for Good, Graham hopes he can help more people with dementia access their life changing services.

Before he began volunteering with Dogs for Good in early 2023, Graham was aware of how much interacting with dogs can do for people suffering from dementia as he saw the joy they brought his father before he died in 2017.

Graham said: “When my dad got dementia, it was terrible to see.

“One day I went to the home he was staying in down in England, and there was a dog there, and my dad was stroking it.

“We had never even had dogs, but he looked so happy.”

At just a week into his journey, Graham is currently making his way into the Midlands and has cycled around 300 miles from his starting point.

He has raised an amazing £1,055, meaning he has already surpassed his initial goal of £1,000.

To donate to Graham’s fundraising campaign, visit his JustGiving page: www.tinyurl.com/WhiskyWalkerJustGiving.

There are currently three dogs volunteering with Dog Days in Helensburgh with the centre keen to hear from anyone who is interested in helping.

To read more about the Dog Days programme, visit Alzheimer’s Scotland’s website: www.tinyurl.com/DogDayHelensburgh.