A Stevenage campaigner is hoping to raise £400 for the Alzheimer’s Society in memory of his nan and best friend Iris Brown, who sadly died in September last year.

The Comet: Iris Brown died last year. Her grandson Connor Skelsey is set to raise money in her memory. Picture: Connor SkelseyIris Brown died last year. Her grandson Connor Skelsey is set to raise money in her memory. Picture: Connor Skelsey (Image: Archant)

Iris was a resident of Jubilee Court care home in Hayward Close, and suffered with dementia for four years.

Now, 21-year-old grandson Connor Skelsey is set to take on The GLOW Memory Walk in Battersea, London, to raise funds in his nan's memory.

He told the Comet: "My nan was honestly my best friend, I used to spend every day with her.

"The more time I spent with her the less I got out. I grieved before she actually died.

The Comet: Iris Brown died last year. Her grandson Connor Skelsy is set to raise money in her memory. Picture: Connor SkelsyIris Brown died last year. Her grandson Connor Skelsy is set to raise money in her memory. Picture: Connor Skelsy (Image: Archant)

"Towards the end she did deteriorate a lot, lashing out more frequently and becoming a lot more confused.

"I will never forget the day I had to convince my 82-year-old nan that she wasn't going into labour.

"I came into my nan's room and she told me she was having a baby."

Connor described Iris as "young at heart", and said she "always came out with the funniest stuff".

The Comet: Iris Brown died last year. Her grandson Connor Skelsy is set to raise money in her memory. Picture: Connor SkelsyIris Brown died last year. Her grandson Connor Skelsy is set to raise money in her memory. Picture: Connor Skelsy (Image: Archant)

A favourite Iris-ism of Connor's was: "If you can be anything, be a zebra."

Connor's JustGiving campaign has already raised £200 within a few weeks but he hopes to double this before memory walk on March 13.

"I want to stop people in future generations going through what she did," he continued.

"My nan was independent and didn't want to accept help. I was my nan's voice as she didn't have one."

Connor has also set up The Iris Project, a caregivers support group on Facebook.

According to the Alzheimer's Society, £160 could fund three days of a dementia researchers' vital investigations, and £300 could offer a lifeline to 27 people through its National Dementia Helpline.

In the UK, one in six people over 80 suffer with dementia and 225,000 will develop dementia this year, one every three minutes.

To find out more about the Alzheimer's Society, go to www.alzheimers.org.uk.

To support Connor, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mw527486.