A Surrey motorsport fan who won his dream £3,000 motorbike in an online prize draw has swapped it for the cash equivalent – and given half of the money to a Guildford hospice which cared for his beloved step-grandson.
Generous John Mitchell, 61, from Tadworth, turned down the chance to head off-road on the gleaming KTM SX 250, which he won on the competition website www.giveawaylife.co.uk this month.
Instead, he asked the website owners, Jake Daffern and Callum Swan, if he could take the cash alternative so that he could give it to Christopher’s children’s hospice in Artington, which cares for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families.
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John Mitchell, from Tadworth, with his step grandson Jacob Spicer-Grattan. John has donated £1,500 to Christopher’s Hospice in Jacob’s memory after winning a motorbike on competition website www.giveawaylife.co.uk
Christopher’s is operated by the charity Shooting Star Children’s Hospices and is in dire need of funds after the coronavirus disrupted the charity’s fundraising efforts, forcing it to close its other hospice in Hampton, Middlesex.
However, Christopher’s also occupies a special place in John’s heart, because staff there cared for his step-grandson, Jacob Spicer-Grattan, in the weeks and days before the two-year-old sadly passed from a rare brain tumour called choroid plexus carcinoma, in January last year.
John used to take part in motorbike sidecar racing but is now better known for offering sports therapy to competitors taking part in motocross events, and it was there that he met – and treated – Callum, who is a well-known rider on the UK’s motocross scene.
Jake and Callum, who are both former school friends from Derby, set up Giveaway Life earlier this year in order to give fans of extreme sports the opportunity to win gear, gadgets and motorbikes.
The KTM SX 250 motorbike which John Mitchell exchanged for cash after winning it online.
When he heard about their venture, John decided to help them out by grabbing a £20 ticket to win the KTM SX 250 – and was pleasantly surprised when they got in touch with him to tell him he was the lucky winner.
He said: “The KTM SX 250 is a lovely bike and when I heard I’d won it, I was imagining how good it would be to get my leg across it and ride it.
“However, not only did my wife tell me we had nowhere to keep it, I realised that a better idea would be to ask for the cash equivalent and give the money to Christopher’s to say thank you for everything they’ve done for Jacob and our family.
“Despite all the treatment that Jacob went through, sadly he didn’t stand a chance in the end. He was moved to Christopher’s about a month before he died and while it was an extremely difficult time, the care and the professionalism of the staff there is something we will never forget.
“It’s very sad knowing that the charity is struggling because of the coronavirus, which is why I’m so grateful that Jake and Callum agreed to give me the money so that I can pass it onto them.”
Jake said: “Both myself and Callum were only too happy to give John the cash equivalent of his prize so that he could help make a difference to Christopher’s.
“John is well-known on the motocross scene and what he and his family have gone through with Jacob is heart-breaking. We know how much the hospice is in need of support at this time and we have also agreed to discuss other ways in which we can help in the future.”
To find out more about Christopher’s visit www.shootingstar.org.uk and for more information on Giveaway Life visit www.giveawaylife.co.uk
