A special fundraising walk in memory of former Ipswich mayor Roger Fern is now just a month away.

Mr Fern was a long-time campaigner to try to raise awareness of issues faced by people suffering from dementia and helped raise money and awareness for the Alzheimer's Society.

The Ipswich Defeat Dementia Walk Event Team is making final preparations for the “Honouring Roger” Walk, a memorial walk in honour of Mr Fern who died in April last year.

He was a strong supporter of the annual Ipswich Dementia Walk that normally takes place in October - but has had to be cancelled for the last two years because of the Covid pandemic.

He helped the Events Team to raise nearly £80,000 for national dementia charities between 2016 and 2019. The team, with the support of his family, were determined to honour his memory with a special walk in the spring.

This walk will be on April 2, starting at noon and following a five-mile route around Ipswich - starting and finishing at Cult Café. It is hosted by the Ipswich Defeat Dementia Walk Event Team – event manager Jess Baldry, Rory Marriott and Hilary Marriott.

It also aims to hold the traditional 10-mile event in October, but it hopes to see as many of the 350 people who have taken part in previous events as possible to take part in the special walk to mark Mr Fern's life next month.

Because next month's event is shorter than the usual distance, the organisers have opened the walk to anyone over 16 years old and will also welcome any "non-seasoned" walkers who would like to participate - the say the pace of this walk is less brisk and more relaxed and is aimed at giving Roger a hearty shout-out from all participants.

Anyone wanting to take part in the walk can register at the organisers' Facebook page - and then turn up at noon on April 2.