Formby Hero wins Charity Champion Award at 2023 Pride Of Sefton Awards
Formby Hero who drove medical supplies to war-torn Ukraine wins Charity Champion Award at 2023 Pride Of Sefton Awards.
A good Samaritan who has driven to and from war-torn Ukraine to deliver vital equipment, medical supplies and clothing has been celebrated at the 2023 Pride Of Sefton Awards.
Formby's well known and much loved Simon Davies from World Class Travel in #Formby has driven, along with some of his co-drivers, to Ukraine several times in the past year.
He won the Sefton Charity Champion Award, which was sponsored by Communication Plus.
Each time Simon Davies has fundraised – over £50,000 so far – and on each trip has filled three nine-seated vehicles with equipment, medical supplies and clothing that were desperately needed.
Once he has completed his drop offs he has picked up refugees, 71 in total, and delivered them off at various locations across Europe and back in the UK, even bringing some back to Sefton.
One of Simon’s recent trips was to take gifts to three orphanages.
Simon has a family of his own but selflessly makes these difficult journeys because in his own words he “cannot sit back and do nothing”.
Many people in Merseyside have helped with fundraising and collection of goods but without Simon’s determination to make these trips the help wouldn’t get there.
Finalist in the Charity Champion category was John Curd, aged 77, Southport’s Marathon Man.
The retired psychiatric nurse is famous for running charity marathons and runs, even during lockdown. Over the past few decades John has run 123 full marathons for charity and hundreds of half marathons for charity.
The second Finalist was Kevin Dunne, who along with his brother Tony Dunne formed StemCell-Scousers.
They pledged to raise £100,000 for Blood Cancer charities after the Anthony Nolan Trust found a Stem Cell Donor to treat Kevin’s wife, Mary, for Leukaemia in 2014.
Kevin has also fundraised for the Royal Liverpool Hospital where medics treated Mary.
Amidst the massive worldwide shortage of Stem Cell Donors and to support other patients who are searching for a donor, Kevin has now attracted over 3,000 worldwide.
The Pride Of Sefton Awards were organised by Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group and by Stand Up For Southport, with support from In Demand Radio.
VIP guests included Mayor of Sefton Cllr Clare Carragher and Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside Julie Lawson, while the night was hosted by In Demand Radio presenter Claire Simmo and TV presenter Fraser Dainton.
Entertainment was provided by Kelly Bond and Soul Jam.
Money was raised for the Steve Prescott Foundation and the ICU Steps charity, a cause close to Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group Chairman Andrew Mikhail after his long battle in intensive care in hospital against Covid-19 during the pandemic.
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