Prize Motorbike Swapped For Cash To Help Fund-Strapped Children’s Hospice

Published on: 22 Oct, 2020
Updated on: 24 Oct, 2020

John Mitchell, from Tadworth, with his step grandson Jacob Spicer-Grattan.

Tadworth motorsport fan John Mitchell won his dream £3,000 KTM SX 250 motorbike in online prize draw Giveaway Life this month. But now he’s swapped it for cash so he could give £1,500 to the Guildford hospice Christopher’s, which cared for his beloved step-grandson Jacob.

Mr Mitchell, 61, used to compete in motorbike sidecar racing but is now better known for offering sports therapy to competitors in motocross events.

There he met and treated Callum Swann, a well-known rider in UK motocross. This year, Mr Swann and lifelong friend Jake Daffern from Derby set up Giveaway Life to give fans of extreme sports the chance to win gear, gadgets and motorbikes.

So to help them out, Mr Mitchell bought a £20 ticket only to be delighted when they called to say he’d won the gleaming prize.

The KTM SX 250 motorbike which John Mitchell exchanged for cash after winning it online

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 ride it.

“But not only did my wife tell me we had nowhere to keep it, I realised 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.”

So he gave half the cash to Christopher’s hospice in Artington, which cares for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families.

The hospice is a special place for the Mitchells. There, staff cared for step-grandson Jacob Spicer-Grattan in the weeks and days before the two-year-old sadly passed away from a rare brain tumour called choroid plexus carcinoma, in January last year.

“Despite all the treatment Jacob went through, sadly he didn’t stand a chance in the end,” Mr Mitchell said. “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 the charity is struggling because of the coronavirus, which is why I’m so grateful Jake and Callum agreed to give me the money so I can pass it on to them.”

Mr Daffern said: “Both myself and Callum were only too happy to give John the cash so 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 we can help in the future.”

Christopher’s is operated by the charity Shooting Star Children’s Hospices and is in dire need of donations after the pandemic disrupted fundraising efforts, forcing temporary closure of the other hospice in Hampton, Middlesex.

To find out more about Christopher’s visit www.shootingstar.org.uk and for more information on Giveaway Life visit www.giveawaylife.co.uk