A Haddington man has raised over £3,000 by walking more than 100 miles in aid of a dementia charity, after losing a friend to the condition.
Alan Hamilton, a former IT worker, retired in 2021 and began volunteering with Volunteer Centre East Lothian.
He said: “Having retired, I wanted to find something that I could do to fill some time and so I visited the volunteer centre in Tranent.
“They told me about a project in which I would be paired up with someone suffering from dementia and engage with them by going for walks outdoors.”
Alan, 62, was paired with Justin Portillo, a North Berwick resident living with Lewy body dementia.
Alan went on weekly walks with Justin around East Lothian, and the pair formed a strong bond.
Justin’s wife, Jan, was grateful for his support.
She said: “The first day Alan arrived at our home he was a volunteer, but every day after that he was a friend.”
Justin passed away in March at East Lothian Community Hospital.
Alan said: “Lewy body dementia is a horrible variation of the disease.
“It is the third most common kind, behind Alzheimer’s and vascular, and those who suffer it can experience shaking, personality changes and can often hear voices in their head.
“It isn’t a nice thing to happen to anyone.
“I grew quite close with Justin and Jan and it was hard when he passed away.”
Alan, who lives on Dunbar Road with his wife, Katrina, decided to raise money for the Lewy Body Society by walking 115 miles along the Northumberland, Berwickshire and East Lothian coastal paths, from Cresswell to Dirleton.
Taking a week to complete the route, Alan has so far raised £3,305.
He said: “It was a tough walk, but the support has been incredible. My wife and Jan surprised me at the finish, where we had a lunch at The Open Arms, Dirleton, which was lovely.
“I had expected to raise a couple of hundred pounds, but to be at over £3,000 is incredible.”
Alan plans to continue his volunteer work and is already in talks with VCEL to be paired with another family battling dementia.
He also gives his time to the Bridges Project in Musselburgh, where he has been using his computer skills to teach children technical arithmetic.
Donations can still be made to Alan’s JustGiving page at rb.gy/nqtwq
Anyone interested in volunteering with VCEL should phone the group on 01875 615423 or email admin@volunteereastlothian.org.uk
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