A retired teacher from Ormskirk is fundraising for the North West Air Ambulance Charity after a CT scan showed he had cancer following an accident in which he was airlifted to hospital.

70-year-old Graham Sumner was walking with friends last Spring when he fell 25 feet down a sheer cliff near Frodsham.

MWAA Paramedics quickly airlifted him to Aintree University Hospital, where his CT scan showed no broken bones, but a 2.5kg malignant tumour on his kidney and several others throughout his body. Just over a month later, he was back in hospital having the main tumour removed, and he is now making a good recovery.

Now, to raise money and give back to the charity, Graham has signed up for the Mission Walk on September 25th.

The event's giving supporters the chance to raise funds to keep the charity’s helicopters in the air; participants can choose between two scenic routes - a challenging, picturesque 10km or a gentler 8.5km family walk - which will take place in the beautiful Wyresdale Park near Preston.

Graham told QLocal: “I feel like I’ve been given a third chance at life. I wanted to raise money for the North West Air Ambulance Charity and the Mission Walk seemed a natural choice, seeing as I had injured myself on a walk yet it was also strangely the walk that saved my life.”

The walk will begin at 1pm, with registration open from 12pm. In the event village, alongside food stalls and entertainment, participants will have the chance to meet paramedics and to chat to members of the fundraising team. All walkers will receive a t-shirt they can wear with pride on the day and a medal as a reward for completing their mission.

Last year, the charity flew over 2,000 rescue missions throughout the region and the service completely relies on public donations to keep its helicopters operational and saving lives.

Entry fee is £15 for an adult raising sponsorship, and £7.50 for children aged 6-15 years. To register for the Mission Walk please visit www.nwaa.net/missionwalk or call the team on 0800 587 4570. To donate to Graham and help him reach his Mission Walk target, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Graham-Sumner