A DEDICATED couple has completed their quest to deliver dozens of boxes of PPE to hospitals across north Essex thanks to the help of public donations.

Darren Newman and his partner, Maria Stephenson, set up an online fundraising page last month so they could buy PPE for hospitals in the area after hearing frontline workers across the country were dying of Covid-19.

Darren also felt the time was right to give something back to doctors and nurses after he has been helped by many in his lifetime.

The dad-of-four has undergone 18 operations on his throat in the past five years, as well as a heart operation.

Since launching their appeal to enable them to buy gloves, masks and other types of protective equipment, the pair has raised more than £2,700.

Over the past few weeks the couple has completed their mission to drop off vital PPE to NHS staff at the Fryatt Hospital, in Dovercourt, Clacton Hospital and Colchester Hospital.

In the end, they also delivered equipment to Broomfield Hospital and The Lakes Mental Health Hospital in Colchester.

Darren, 43, of Main Road, Dovercourt, said: “We all managed to come together and raise a whopping £2,745 for PPE that we’ve distributed to our local hospitals.

“We are really loving the fact and are very proud that we all came together as a Facebook community and made this happen.

“Without you all supporting this with sharing the posts like crazy people and donating as kindly as you all have done we wouldn’t have been able to help protect so many of the NHS heroes that you all have.

“A thank you from Maria and I for getting behind us and backing this the way you all have its been really beautiful to be a part of.

“But more importantly thank you from all the NHS staff that you have not left out in the cold thank you for caring about who they are and what they needed you have all helped such a fantastic cause direct charity where no middle man takes a cut or bits get wasted.

“It all went to them, every single £1 we raised went to the people it should the ones you gave it for.”