THEY admit running is not something they would normally sign up for.

But 18 members of a church on Oxford’s Rose Hill estate are set to pound the streets to raise more than £1,000 for Alzheimer’s and dementia research.

The men and women from White Rose Spiritual Church, based in The Oval, will run 10km around the city on Saturday.

Organiser Sharon Fenn said the group was ready for the challenge.

She said: “As a group most of us are perhaps not the most natural runners.

“But we have been raising funds for dementia research for some time and decided we needed to do something a bit different.

“We agreed on a run and after all the hard work it is now time to put everything into practice.”

The runners will start in Rose Hill, head along Iffley Road, cross Magdalen Bridge, head up the High Street to Carfax, run along Abingdon Road to the bypass, up to Littlemore Roundabout before returning to Rose Hill.

Mrs Fenn, who lives in Sandford-on-Thames, said everyone had been training hard.

She said: “We have all been doing short runs and power walking around Rose Hill and the area.

“We have certainly been putting the effort in and I think we are all ready.

“It’s a lovely route which takes in a lot of Oxford. It is also bang on 10km, which is perfect for us.

“So far we have raised about £600 and we hope to break the £1,000 barrier on Saturday.

“I think everyone is looking forward to it now.”

The term dementia is used to describe the symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, stroke and other rarer conditions.

Symptoms include loss of memory, confusion and problems with speech and understanding.

There are about 750,000 people in the UK with dementia, most of whom are aged over 65.

Mrs Fenn said: “Our church leader, Linda Herman, saw both of her parents affected. She won’t be running with us but will be there in spirit.

“Alzheimer’s and dementia affect a lot of people in the city so it is a very worthy cause.”

To donate, email Mrs Fenn on sharon donna@hotmail.co.uk