A SCHOOLGIRL from Windlesham has raised almost £1,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK to honour the memory of her grandfather.

Pippa King, aged 11, lost John Orme to dementia a year ago and is now unable to visit her grandmother Ruth because of the lockdown restrictions.

So Pippa set herself the challenge of a virtual walk to Ruth’s home in Leicestershire, 128 miles away.

She aims to complete the walk by half-term, so has to cover three to four miles each day.

“My dad was a bank manager and when he retired he fulfilled an ambition to train greyhounds, which he did at Peterborough,” said Pippa’s mother, Rachel.

“Dad would never give up, and the song Keep Right On To The End Of The Road has become a bit of a theme for Pippa.

“She has really felt not being able to see her grandmother and them not being able to comfort each other. That was what inspired her.

“The walk has also given Pippa a purpose in lockdown. When she finishes her schoolwork and just feels like sitting down in front of the TV, she knows that people have donated money to her and it is up to her now to do the miles.

“Some days she feels more like it than others, but it has to be done. It is great motivation.”

Pippa, who is in Year 6 at Connaught Junior School in Bagshot, is completing the distance with a combination of outside walks and an indoor treadmill.

“She plays hockey and netball, and has done tumbling for the county, so she’s quite sporty,” Rachel added.

“I’ve got two other daughters who are runners though, so competition for that treadmill is pretty fierce!”