A COUPLE are on a mission to raise £1,000 to purchase personal protective equipment for frontline NHS workers at hospitals in Harwich, Clacton and Colchester.

After hearing NHS staff across the country had died from the coronavirus, Darren, 43, and Maria Newman, 41, decided to set up a online fundraising page.

Darren, of Main Road, Dovercourt, said: “The NHS has been so good to me over the years.”

He has undergone 18 operations on his throat in the past five years, as well as a heart operation, so he thought now was the time to give something back to NHS staff.

He also wants to do his bit for the emergency services after two of his children were saved from the mudflats in Wrabness last month.

Darren said: “Hearing that nurses and doctors across the UK have started dying due to Covid-19 infection through lack of PPE made us want to come together with our community of Harwich and surrounding areas and raise some money to purchase PPE and the necessary items to keep our NHS workers safe.”

Darren, who launched the fundraiser less than a week ago, has already been able to order more than £500 worth of PPE, which will be supplied to hospitals in north Essex.

The dad-of-four said: “If each household across Tendring could donate £5, think of what we could achieve together to make so many frontline NHS heroes safe.

“And if we can raise enough, we could start issuing PPE to our police, fire brigade, first responders and air ambulance crew.

“We don’t want a single frontline hero left out in the cold.”

Darren said he is grateful to the emergency services who came to the rescue of two of his children who were stuck on mudflats in Wrabness last month.

“This is another reason our family owes them so much, we are so grateful” he added.

“My son was airlifted to hospital along with his friend, it was obviously a worrying time.

“The emergency services are complete heroes to all our family.”

Darren said his children have even asked if they can take money out of their savings to put it towards PPE.

If you are able to help raise money for PPE for north Essex’s NHS workers, visit bit.ly/2V6nOWE.

More than £800 has been raised so far.