Bristol Charity Founder to Walk 13 Miles for 13th Anniversary
Tony Hall, 81, who founded Bristol Dementia Action Alliance (BDAA) 13 years ago, has set himself the challenge of walking a mile for every year along the Bath to Bristol railway path to mark the start of Dementia Action Week 2026.
On Saturday 16th May, Tony will have his hair dyed with BDAA purple to make sure he stands out on his walk! Student Ellie who has been volunteering at BDAAs Westbury Happy Days Café created an amazing purple jacket as part of her GCSE project – Tony will be wearing it on the day.
Tony founded BDAA in 2013 as his personal response after his wife Barbara was diagnosed with dementia. She lived with frontotemporal dementia for more than 20 years before sadly dying in 2022. Tony continues to lead the charity as founder and chair.
The walk will set off at 9.30am from Brassmill Lane at the start of the cycleway and footpath and follow the railway path to Bristol. Walkers will reach Bitton Station at around 12pm for a lunch stop in ‘Rose’, the second buffet car. BDAA will have an information stall.
The group will set off again at approximately 2pm, stopping briefly at Warmley Station café around 2.30pm before continuing into Bristol. They aim to arrive at the arch in Lawrence Hill Park at end of the cycle path around 6pm.
Anyone interested in taking part, sponsoring a walker or offering support is encouraged to contact Tony at office@bdaa.org.uk or visit https://bdaa.org.uk/13-years-on-track/. Walkers and sponsorship are warmly welcomed.
The walk is part of a wider programme of activities marking Dementia Action Week.
On Monday 18 May, BDAA will host a special Happy Days memory café at Ambition House, Lawrence Weston 2-4pm. Long-time supporter Teresa will be having her head shaved during the cafe after raising more than £1,000 for the charity.
BDAA will also co-host with Alive and BRACE a free one-stop dementia event, Let’s Talk Dementia, at Bristol Beacon on Saturday 23 May. Full details of all Dementia Action Week events can be found at https://bdaa.org.uk/dementia-action-week/
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