A CHARITY car wash is taking place at Malmesbury fire station to raise money for the British Lung Foundation in support of a Wiltshire paramedic.

The car wash, on Sunday (February 28), at the fire station in Gloucester Road, will be raising money for the Fire Fighters Charity and the British Lung Foundation, which was chosen as a beneficiary in support of Wiltshire paramedic Mr Hitchens, who is terminally ill with lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis.

Mr Hitchens’ friend, Chris Harvey, a crew manager at Malmesbury fire station, started a social media campaign- #acostaforkev- which has also contributed to the fundraising.

Mr Harvey said: “The campaign started with Kev’s friends posting selfies of themselves enjoying a coffee, to show him we were thinking of him. It’s gone a lot further than we expected, so we’re now trying to raise money for charities supporting people with lung disease. The emergency services are a big family, and we all get to know one another, so the station was keen to do something in Kev’s name.”

The car wash will also be supporting the Fire Fighters Charity, which offers support to serving and retired fire fighters, their widows/widowers and young dependants through the provision of sheltered accommodation, rehabilitation and therapy, as well as giving financial support to those in need.

The charity works with some 11,000 beneficiaries every year at a cost of £9million each year, these services are financed almost entirely by fundraising.

The car wash will run from 10am-4pm on Sunday at the Gloucester Road fire station, Malmesbury.