Margate 86-year-old Roy Dallaway is on a mission to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK with a 500-mile walk.
The former serviceman has already skydived from 10,000 feet in aid of the charity and is now more than halfway through his ‘Buckingham Palace to Balmoral’ virtual trek.
The cause is something Roy is passionate about. Wife Mary lost her life to Parkinson’s two-and-a-half years ago. She was diagnosed with the condition in 2014. The couple would have celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary this year.
Roy said: “I’m walking about three miles a day and hope to complete the walk by the end of July or August.
“Before covid I did the skydive. I’m a bit old and not bendy and wondered how I would get into the suit but you just stand there and they zip you into it! The hardest part was actually getting into the plane but it was lovely and I would definitely do it again.”
Roy is a regular at The Laughing Barrel micropub in Palm Bay and pub bosses Michael McColl and Alison Jarvis are supporting him in his challenge and have provided special campaign T shirts.
Alison said: “Roy is such a lovely, funny man. He makes everyone laugh and everyone knows him.”
He was also guest of honour at a Parkinson’s UK Jubilee party at Union Church last weekend where he donned his shirt to raise awareness of his campaign.
Parkinson’s is now the fastest growing neurological condition in the world. In the UK there are 145,000 people with Parkinson’s. Every hour, two more people are diagnosed. There is still no cure for the condition.
Parkinson’s UK relies on people like Roy to raise awareness and money to help fund work into finding a cure for the condition.
Roy said: “Parkinson’s UK have been a really great help to a lot of people and the charity is very close to my heart.”
