Chesterfield youngster with cerebral palsy takes on walking challenge for ambulance service

Joseph Morris, 11, will walk from Chesterfield to St John’s Gate in London to help raise funds to support St John Ambulance and secure the charity’s future.

Since the outbreak of the virus, the national health and first aid charity has

supported the NHS by providing ambulance crews, plus highly-trained volunteers to work in hospitals up and down the country.

But during its biggest deployment since the Second World War, the charity needs to raise at least £6million to keep going and has launched a multi-million pound fundraising appeal.

Joseph, from Chesterfield, who attends St Mary’s School and has been a volunteer since the age of six, has chosen to support St John Ambulance in the fight against Covid-19 and will take on the challenge throughout lockdown.

Joseph said: “As a St John cadet myself, and my mum an adult volunteer, we have seen first hand how much our organisation has done and continues to do to help, by providing ambulances, equipment and volunteers to support in hospitals.

“I am only alive because of what the NHS did for me. I have cerebral palsy and use a frame to walk, so this challenge will be a really hard and I might need some help from my friends to do a little bit along the way.”

To sponsor Joseph, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Rosemarie-Morris.

Alternatively to donate £10 text SAVE7 to 70577 or to find out more about the

emergency appeal visit www.sja.org.uk/savelives.

While people are at home during this difficult time, St John Ambulance is

encouraging the public to get behind them to support the effort through fundraising activity at home or by donating to the charity.

St John Ambulance’s chief executive, Martin Houghton-Brown, said: “As with many charities, coronavirus has stopped the activities that would normally bring in income.

“With the generous help of the public right now, we can keep saving lives together.”