A fundraising night at The Crossways Tavern, Midsomer Norton, this Saturday, 16th September, will be raising vital funds to help local man, Mitchell Chalmers, rebuild his life following a motorbike accident which left him paralysed.

Speaking via his JustGiving page, Mitchell says: “I had a motorcycle accident back in 2014 which left me paralysed from the stomach down.

“There have been many highs and lows, but one of the biggest struggles is funding equipment that will help me feel and do more things closer to how I did before.

“I have a dream to train as a hairdresser, and with the help of this standing wheelchair, nothing would hold me back. There are some parts of the training I could do in a normal wheelchair, but I need the extra support and height of this equipment for actually standing to cut hair.

“It’s been a long road to recovery for me, but now I want to focus on training in something I’m interested in and have a passion for.

“If you could find a way to help me on this journey, even a small amount means so much, I would be so grateful.”

The total needed for the stand-up wheelchair is £7,000, with Mitchell on the way to raising the first £2,000. A family member of Mitchell’s told The Journal: “We hope the fundraising evening will greatly increase the much-needed funds to enable Mitch to achieve his dream. We are extremely grateful for the raffle donations from many local companies and retailers supporting this event. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far – if you haven’t,but would like to, then please leave donations at the Crossways.”

As well as the charity raffle, there will also be a BBQ on the night.

Any readers who would like to donate to Mitchell’s new wheelchair fund can do so at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mitchell-chalmers