Walking for Memories: A Fundraiser’s Powerful Tribute to Family, Music and Dementia Support
When Jay Rose signed up for the Peak District Ultra – a challenging 100km walk over two days – he wasn’t just taking on a physical challenge. He was walking for something much deeper.
With a personal connection to dementia through his grandparents, and a lifelong bond to music as the son of a music teacher, Jay chose to support Music for my Mind – a charity that helps people living with dementia reconnect through the power of personalised music.
In this interview, he shares what inspired his journey, how music has shaped his life and relationships, and what the experience of raising over £700 through sheer determination (and sore feet!) meant to him.
What inspired you to take on the 100km challenge - and why Music for My Mind?
I love hiking and try and get out as much as possible anyway, but never quite covered distances such as this. I decided to sign up in January to give myself something to work towards for the year and really try and push myself.
When I was researching the charities available to raise money for and came across Music For My Mind, I knew instantly that was the one. I’d never heard of anything like it and couldn’t believe that more places aren’t utilising it.
I could immediately see the benefit and wanted to help in whatever way I could.
"I could immediately see the benefit and wanted to help in whatever way I could."
Can you share a little about your grandparents and the role music played in their lives and your relationship with them?
The main story I can share about my grandparents to sum them up is that they were both surveyors and because of that my dad also went to uni to study surveying. He did that work for around 10 years – never truly liking his work, always wanting to pursue being a drum teacher! Without any question my grandparents supported him to do a complete 180 because they could see how much music meant to him. He’s never looked back since.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend as much time with my grandparents as I would have wanted, being in my early teens when they passed, but I would like to hope that the work Music For My Mind does gives people memories to hold onto no matter what time they have with loved ones.
With your dad being a music teacher, how did music shape your life growing up?
As you can imagine music was pretty much always on – whether music videos on the TV or vinyl being played.
Every holiday we went on always seemed to come away with a song that sound-tracked the week, and this led to me really pinpointing music and songs to specific moments in time.
As I’m getting older I’m really trying to appreciate those moments as they’re happening and recognise the music that is helping to enhance those experiences.
Do you have a special song that instantly takes you back to a moment or memory?
Amongst many the first song that really sprung to mind is a French song Papaoutai by Stromae.
We were on holiday camping in France at the time, and it just seemed that every time the radio was on, so was that song.
Without understanding the language, we would all instantaneously sing it whenever we heard it.
What was the most memorable or toughest part of walking 100km in two days?
The toughest part of the walk was definitely the Sunday, but in particular the second to third rest stop. This was a 16km stretch (the longest between rest stops of the whole event) on what seemed to be a never-ending path. By this point every step was painful and you just had to try and numb yourself out to it.
But what really kept me going was the messages from friends and family around this time and seeing the donations come in, it was a great reminder of why I was doing it and just to keep pushing through.
"What really kept me going was the messages from friends and family, and seeing the donations come in."
How did it feel to raise over £700 knowing it will help people living with dementia connect through music?
Honestly, I had no idea that I would even hit my original target of £350 so to double it is just phenomenal. I think it really speaks to the work that Music for my Mind is doing, and that people really resonate with it and can see the benefit it can bring to so many lives.
There's still time to participate in 2025!
There are still 10 Challenge Events – where you can walk, jog or run to raise funds for Music for my Mind – left in 2025. Or if you’re up for a challenge in 2026, click here for more details of next year’s events with early bird sign up deals!
