A former Penryn College student who comes from Mawnan Smith will run back to his family home |from Ferndown in Dorset to raise money for Cornish dementia care.

Martyn Houldsworth plans to cover around 180 miles, equivalent to a marathon a day, to raise funds so that more dementia support nurses can be brought to the Duchy.

Martyn, whose parents John and Eithna live in Mawnan, will be running from August 29 to September 6 to support the charity, as his family have been affected by dementia in the past.

He said: “A close family member suffered from dementia a few years back and I remember having to go through the whole change, and how it changes people.

“I don’t know where the idea of the run came from, it was just I thought ‘what can I do to help out’ and before I knew it I suggested running from where I live now to where I grew up.

“Hopefully it will raise quite a bit of money because Admiral Nurses [Dementia UK’s dedicated mental health nurses] have just started up in Cornwall, they have got a couple of nurses, maybe three.”

He said he wasn’t sure it was from Admiral Nurses, but his parents had received help when his grandfather had suffered with dementia, which had “put quite a strain on things.”

He added: “We did receive help, it did make all the difference. It would be nice if other people could get the same help.”

Martyn is planning seven long legs and a final ‘sprint finish’ starting from Penryn Rugby Club on the last day, finishing in Mawnan Smith with an after party including a hog roast and charity raffle.

Truro and Falmouth MP Sarah Newton said: “I take my hat off to Martyn, a former student at Penryn College, on his bold plan to run across much of the South West. His efforts will be for an outstanding cause; the Cornwall Dementia UK team do a great job supporting those living with the condition, last year securing the first Admiral Nurses, specialists in dementia care, to work in Cornwall. I wish Martyn the very best of Cornish luck.’’ 

For more information on the run, and on how you can support it, go to http://www.bound4home.co.uk