A 10-mile charity walk in Ipswich raised a staggering £18,000 to help the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.

Around 150 people took part in the inaugural Ipswich Alzheimer’s Memory Walk on Saturday. It started and finished at the Waterfront and was supported by a number of businesses in the town and Ipswich mayor Roger Fern.

Event organiser Jessica Baldry had to double check the fundraising spreadsheet after more than £18,000 was raised. They had set a £4,000 target. More donations were still being counted throughout Sunday.

She said: “What started as a walking event for family and close friends escalated beyond what we thought was possible. We are delighted with support of local businesses and venues who co-operated with the logistics of this event. “However, the support, dedication and excellent attitude of our 150 walkers was pivotal to the success of the walk and made for an enjoyable day. Well done Ipswich. We knew we could rely on you and you pulled through for us.”

Participants walked 10 miles around Ipswich, starting and finishing at the Waterfront and taking in some of the historic sights of Suffolk’s county town.

The event offered an opportunity for people to pass a tribute to a loved one, past and present, who suffers or has suffered from dementia. Each participant was given a blank tag on which to write a message or memory.

The Forget-Me-Not Tree memory tags were attached to balloons sent to the skies as a final tribute to walkers and their loved ones on Sunday morning.

Next year’s event is planned for Saturday, October 14. Entries open in August 2017.