LOCAL primary school teacher, Thomas Davies (25), has taken on the huge challenge of hiking 1100 miles around the perimeter of Wales to raise money for Alzheimer's Society.

Tom will start the route from his home in Presteigne, walking up the hill to Evenjobb. From there, he will walk north on the Offa's Dyke path to join the Wales Coastal Path. 900 miles of coastal walking (including Anglesey) later, he will meet the Offa's Dyke path again in South Wales and follow it all the way back home. Tom will carry a pack on his back containing everything that he needs to complete the challenge, including a tent, sleeping bag and spare clothes, totalling 21kg in weight.

Tom says "I know there will be highs and lows, physically and mentally, but I can't wait to get started! It's going to be an adventure I'll remember for the rest of my life." He is taking on this challenge alone, but is looking forward to days when family and friends can join him for a few miles to break up the isolation.

Alzheimer's Society funds research into the cause, cure, care and prevention of all forms of dementia. Tom decided to support the Alzheimer's Society after two of his grandparents became sufferers. He says, "It's a cause very close to my family's heart. My grandma suffered from Alzheimer's before she passed away, and my grandad on the same side of the family has vascular dementia. The diseases are truly horrible as they slowly take away the parts of the brain that make you who you are. It must be terrifying to go through, and it's hard for the families too as they watch their loved one slip away."

Tom begins on July 26, which would have been his grandmother's 88th birthday. The challenge will take approximately 10 weeks to complete, walking an average of 16 to 20 miles a day.

Tom has set himself an ambitious fundraising target, and asks anybody who has a spare moment to read his Just Giving page and donate whatever they can to this worthwhile cause.

The link to Tom's Just Giving page is justgiving.com/Thomas-Davies11