Round Britain By Bike 2025
About Bernard
Bernard Bunting lives with Young-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, diagnosed in November 2022, at the age of 65, by Professor Nick Fox (professor of neurology and director of the Dementia Research Centre at the UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London).
Since September 2023 he has been participating in a clinical trial, under the leadership of Professor Catherine Mummery, (Head of novel therapeutics at the UCL Dementia Research Centre and is also a consultant neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery) to test one of the new generation of drugs that have been developed to help slow down the progress of Young-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease and which may – one day – change the course of this form of dementia for future generations.
For me life carries on – you don’t feel it every day,” says Bernard. “In fact, although there are some things I can’t do as well as I could in the past, I feel no different to when I was at school 50 years ago – I’m lucky, I’m reasonably fit and I’ve got lots of outdoor pursuits.”
A keen cyclist since his early years, throughout his military and business pursuits, Bernard has demonstrated his ability to take on challenges and prevail. He took on his first big challenge aged 15 when he cycled alone from York up to the north of Scotland.
“I couldn’t face another 450 mile journey with all four siblings in the back of a of a converted builder’s van – our family vehicle at the time,” says Bernard. “As the eldest, I said: well I’ll cycle.”
Now, he has set himself a challenge to ride solo, largely unaccompanied, round the England Wales and Scotland to raise funds for The National Brain appeal in aid of the UK’s first Rare Dementia Centre (the dementia support equivalent of the Maggie’s Care centres for cancer).
Innately ambitious, Bernard’s mission is to establish connections, just like those neural pathway connections in the brain, to inspire 100,000 people to donate £10 or more.
“I’m just getting on with my life, and I hope that my undertaking this challenge might encourage others living with Young Onset Alzheimer’s Disease to hunt out new projects that bring them joy and a sense of achievement in their everyday lives,” says Bernard. “Perhaps it will inspire them to head into the great outdoors for gardening, walking or hopping on a bike.”
Bernard will only reach his fundraising target if everyone who donates spreads the word and connects with others: family; friends; work colleagues; neighbours; local communities.
To donate, visit Bernard’s JustGiving page and, if you are inspired by his efforts, download the QR code to share with anyone you know!
