A charity fundraiser is expecting to face many ups and downs in his quest to raise thousands of pounds for the Alzheimer’s Society.

Jon Shaw, 49, of Addingham, has set himself the unusual challenge of a sponsored ride-a-thon on The Ultimate rollercoaster at Lightwater Valley.

Mr Shaw, of Jonathan Garth, is preparing to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in January to raise awareness and funds for the charity, and he needs to raise £3,900 for the trek.

As well as holding a fundraising race night in Addingham on September 14, Mr Shaw hopes to attract sponsors via his potentially all-day rollercoaster ride at the North Yorkshire theme park on October 14.

“In theory, I should get up to 50 circuits on the rollercoaster before the end of the day,” he said.

He has been advised to wear shin pads and other protective equipment for the challenge.

The Ultimate is the world’s second longest rollercoaster, and climbs up to 107 feet from the ground.

Mr Shaw wanted to take on the Kilimanjaro challenge to celebrate his 50th birthday next year, but he is also doing the fundraising trek in memory of his father-in-law, Walter Gray.

Mr Gray was a well-liked and respected manager of Lloyds Bank in Ilkley, who also volunteered at care home Glen Rosa and acted as treasurer for a number of years. Sadly, he developed dementia and ended up spending time at the same home.

Mr Shaw said: “Over time, his friends and family saw a clever, funny, articulate and caring person fade away as dementia took hold.

“I saw first-hand the impact that dementia had on Walter and also on his family. After his death in 2009, I took part in a number of sponsored runs on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Society.”

The race night, with an auction and prizes, takes place at Addingham Memorial Hall in Main Street, starting at 7.30pm. Contact Jon on (01943) 435374, 07799 695548 or e-mail jon@theshawz.co.uk for details.

Visit justgiving.com/Jon-Shaw2013 to support Mr Shaw.