A CAMPAIGN to raise £11,000 to purchase an electric wheelchair for a dedicated Teesdale volunteer received a big boost last week.
Scout leader Sue Baillie lost her leg four years ago after developing sepsis on three occasions.
Despite having her right leg amputated below the knee Mrs Baillie continues to volunteer with the Scouts.
Even with a basic electric wheelchair Mrs Baillie’s mobility has been limited. In a bid to improve her mobility, friend Suzanne Thomas launched an appeal to raise the £11,000 needed for a lightweight, all-terrain wheelchair.
Mrs Thomas set up a Justgiving page for the appeal, which currently stands at £3,000.
She is also preparing to complete a 40-mile sponsored walk, setting off from Barney tomorrow (May 23) to reach Penrith by May 25.
After reading about the campaign, popular performers James Dykes and Eddie Tinkler, better known as Two Local Blokes, got in touch to offer their fundraising weight to the appeal.
The stalwart musicians, who perform at care homes, lunch clubs and charity events, asking only for donations to their chosen charities as payment, will be giving a proportion of what they raise through the year to the wheelchair appeal.
Mr Dykes said: “We will probably have three or four causes like last year, but when we read about the appeal, we thought it fitted perfectly with our aim.
“It is a local cause and that is what we sing for. It is local music by local musicians for local good causes.”
Last year the duo handed over £1,500 to three organisations and hope to do the same this year. They have already begun planning their end of year musical showcase concert at Barnard Castle’s WMC on November 3.
Mr Tinkler added: “We are the musical version of The Clique.”
Anyone wishing to donate to Sue’s wheelchair appeal should visit https:// rb.gy/dekh85.
![A COUNTY councillor is backing a campaign to get a pedestrian crossing in Staindrop. Frustrated parish councillors in the village summoned their county council representative Cllr George Richardson to their latest meeting to discuss several issues, including the call for a safe way to cross the A688. Earlier this year their request for a crossing was turned down by the county council’s highways officers. Parish council chairman Jonothan Raper described the reasons for the refusal as “spurious” and called on Cllr Richardson to support their campaign. He added: “One of the arguments they made was there is no clear line of desire when they studied the village – well this isn’t a clear line of desire because there isn’t a crossing, people cross whenever they can. “When the lollipop person was there, one of the things I noticed was people would walk all the way down to the lollipop person to cross the road to go to the shop or to go to the school.” He added a problem of parking at the primary school is exacerbated because people are too afraid to walk their children across the road. Cllr Richardson said he had supported previous attempts for a crossing point with the first being made about 15 years ago. He added: “We went fairly well down the road with that and they looked into it. The only recommended place was where the bus stop is and to get the visibility splays, people on the other side of the road would lose their parking. “That didn’t go down well so it just died a death.” Cllr Raper said he suspected the real reason for the officers’ refusal was the cost of installing a crossing. He added that much of the cost could be recovered from savings made on not having to employ a lollipop patrol. Cllr Raper said: “A lollipop person only provides a benefit of crossing for three hours of the day. You are getting 21 extra hours of crossing time [with a pedestrian crossing].” Cllr Richardson said he would raise the issue with the county council’s cabinet member for highways, Cllr John Shuttleworth.](https://teesdalemercury.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/georgeR-120x86.jpg)
