A Cambridgeshire author is raising funds for charity by publishing a joke book.

Cambs Times: April Fool’s Day book launch gives serious boost to Alzheimer’s Research UK.April Fool’s Day book launch gives serious boost to Alzheimer’s Research UK. (Image: Archant)

Businessman Simon Gibson chose April Fools Day to publish his debut book, A Joke a Day, to boost funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Containing 365 jokes Mr Gibson hopes to bring a daily smile to the faces of everyone who reads it while raising money for the UK’s leading dementia research charity.

Dad of three Mr Gibson began supporting the Cambridgeshire-based national charity four years ago after a close family member was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

During that time he has raised thousands of pounds for the charity and secured a grant of £6,100 from the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation.

In August 2013 he sponsored the first of three annual horse races at Newmarket’s prestigious July course in honour of the charity’s world-class dementia research – this year’s Alzheimer’s Research UK charity race day is on August 2.

Mr Gibson, of Burwell, said: “I’ve always enjoyed making funny comments in response to Facebook posts from friends and family.

“In 2013 I decided to take it a step further and post a joke a day for a year. People started to ask me what I planned to do with the material and the idea for A Joke a Day started to form.

“My family has been touched by Alzheimer’s disease and it’s opened my eyes to the dreadful lack of funding for research to find the new treatments so urgently needed.

“If A Joke a Day can bring a smile to people’s faces and help Alzheimer’s Research UK bring hope to everyone living with dementia then I’ll be a happy man. All the proceeds from book sales will be donated to the charity.”

Ian Wilson, Director of Fundraising at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Simon is a dedicated supporter of our work and we can’t thank him enough for all his efforts to compile this hilarious book.

“There are hundreds of thousands of people in the UK living with dementia today, including over 57,000 people in the East of England.”

A Joke a Day, by Stellar Books, is £10 and can be ordered online through Amazon at http://amzn.to/1l3O0tG or through Stellar Books at http://bit.ly/NtZKXn.