People across the south west of England are being asked to help stop Parkinson’s for good by joining their local Walk for Parkinson’s event this year.

This January, charity Parkinson’s UK is launching its annual Walk for Parkinson’s fundraiser, and is calling for people of all ages and abilities to unite, with thousands of others around the UK to sign-up to step closer to a cure for Parkinson’s.

Walks in the South West include the Cotswolds walk near Cheltenham (Sunday, 12th May), the South West Coastal Path in Budleigh Salterton in Devon (Sunday, 23th June), Wilton House near Salisbury (Sunday, 14th July), Gribbin Head in Cornwall (Sunday, 8th September), and Ashton Court in Bristol (Sunday, 29th September).

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition that affects 145,000 people across the UK, with an estimated 13,653 people living with Parkinson’s in the South West. It can affect people of all ages and has over forty symptoms including tremor, loss of mobility and dementia.

Over the past four years, Walk for Parkinson’s fundraisers have raised over £1.5 million for Parkinson’s UK’s pioneering research to find a cure for the condition – and the charity believes that scientists could now be on the verge of major breakthroughs.

Sky Sports Presenter and Champion of Walking for Parkinson’s UK, Dave Clark, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2011, aged 44. He is a keen walker himself and is encouraging people to lace up their walking boots to raise funds to help end Parkinson’s for good.

Dave said: “Parkinson’s has had a huge impact on my life. On my worst days it’s hard to walk, talk or write my own name, and it’s tough knowing that things will get even harder for me and my family as it progresses.

“But Parkinson’s UK’s pioneering research gives me hope that we will find a cure for this brutal condition, and walking helps me stay active and positive.

“Walk for Parkinson’s events have already raised a phenomenal amount of money for the fight to find a cure - and we’re now on the verge of major research breakthroughs that could end Parkinson’s for good.

“So, whatever your age or ability, please sign-up to join a walk near you in the South West and be part of the final push to find a cure.”

To find out more about the walks, and to sign up to one near you, visit: www.parkinsons.org.uk/walk