TWO Blaenau Gwent residents are raising money for a dementia charity.

Mark Ford and Ian Reynolds, from Brynmawr, will cycle 185 miles from Caernarfon in North Wales to Chepstow on Saturday, July 17, in their “Wales in a Day – Open Cycling” challenge, raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Both have a personal connection to the condition.

Mr Ford’s father-in-law Glanwyn O’Neill, who served his country in the army, worked at the steelworks in Ebbw Vale, and was a member of the Beaufort Male Voice Choir, was diagnosed at the age of 69, and passed away at 83.

And Mr Reynolds' father and mother-in-law have both recently been diagnosed with dementia. He said: "It is heartbreaking know what we will have to face as a family, and how their journey will end."

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Having already exceeded their original £2,500 target, the pair aim to raise as much money as possible for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

They have been training hard for months now in preparation for the event, even overcoming an accident during this time which forced them to take some time out to recover before getting back on track.

Ceri Smith, regional fundraising officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: "We’re so grateful to Mark and Ian for supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK. Dementia affects a significant proportion of the population – one in three people over 65 in the UK will die with some form of the condition. Fantastic fundraising efforts like this will help us to make life-changing research breakthroughs for people with dementia."

To sponsor the pair visit justgiving.com/fundraising/fordieandreynolds

For further information about Alzheimer’s Research UK, or to find out more about fundraising for the charity, call 0300 111 5555 or visit www.alzheimersresearchuk.org