A FATHER and daughter are embarking on a journey for charity in memory of a friend who died from Parkinson's disease.

Jo Smethurst and her 70-year-old father Michael Condon, who live in London, are taking on the long journey from London to Ayr to raise funds for the charity Parkinson's UK.

This idea came to light after Michaels friend, Ron Barnett, sadly passed away from Parkinson's disease in 2016.

The journey will involve both Jo and Michael catching over 80 public buses to get themselves from the south of England, all the way up to the north of Scotland.

Jo said: “ I'm really nervous because we've already received so much support and the JustGiving page has only just went live.

“We will be going on around 80 buses and they won't be the buses that go quickly on the motorway, it will be local buses that will go from town to town.”

The pair will start their travels on Monday, May 15 and they hope to arrive in Ayr on Saturday, May 20.

Jo added: “We picked Ayr out of all the places in Scotland because we both have a connection to the town. My husband is from there and the place is so lovely, plus my in-laws still live in Ayr which means free digs when we arrive.”

On their JustGiving page, Michael says that he has always wanted to challenge himself.

He said: “I have always fancied doing a challenge, and as I’m now 70, it’s never going to be Mount Everest, but getting from London to Scotland on public buses with no pre-booked accommodation and very strict rules, is something I think I can manage.

“I’ve decided to do this in memory of my friend, Ron, and to raise money for the Parkinson’s charity who desperately need funding to find a cure for this very cruel disease.”

To help support Michael and Jo, you can find their JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Michael-Condon and you can track their progress throughout the week on their blog page From Here to Ayr - https://fromheretoayr.wordpress.com/