With Queen’s Baton Relay reaching East Yorkshire this week there will be 17 worthy Batonbearers for the East Riding.
Each Batonbearer has their own unique nomination story which gained selection to the Relay taking place on Wednesday, 13 July 2022 in Beverley and Market Weighton.
Here we look at seven of those people who have been selected to take part in this unique event.
Daryl Perkins
Daryl works for the NHS as a nurse and not only did she work throughout COVID for her job – Daryl continued to train many St John Ambulance volunteers in their role to assist in care during the pandemic.
As well as volunteering herself for out of hours work, Daryl again stepped up to train the volunteers to assist in the rollout of the vaccination programme. A dedicated volunteer, mum, grandmother and youth worker – Daryl has earned her place as a Batonbearer.
Luke Lambert
Luke lost his mum Jenny, 62, to a brain tumour in November 2019. His tragic loss was the inspiration behind the 29-year-old’s five-day, 250-kilometre Wadi Rum Desert ultramarathon in the Jordanian desert, where temperatures reached 42 degrees Celsius.
Luke’s gruelling journey last October saw him develop severe plantar fasciitis in his right foot on the first day, but he pushed through the pain barrier in memory of his mum. He raised more than £23,000 for Brain Tumour Research and Young Minds UK.
Fiona Rainforth
Fiona leads the emotional well-being in an alternative provision school – it’s a demanding job! On top of this, she has set up a foodbank within the school and also runs two youth clubs. Fiona is out until all hours, supporting young people and helping them in the community.
She never stops thinking about ways to support children and their families and even went out on Christmas Eve delivering turkeys to children that she knew would not have one. She raised funds to send every one of her students home with a hamper for Christmas – she’s inspiring!
Jo Rainforth-Ramsay
Jo runs an amazing charity that gives free legal advice to people and she has established a community pantry helping families who are struggling. She works tirelessly for the people of Beverley and never turns anyone away.
Jo has set up a youth project that supports young people and gives them fun, freedom and support. Jo is a beacon for the people struggling in Beverley. The countless families she has helped holistically from advice, basic food, clothing and youth referrals make Jo a very worthy Batonbearer.
Jon Hilton
Jon is a former Royal Engineer from the British Army having served just short of 15 years. He served on operations around the world including Kosovo, Northern Ireland and Iraq. In 2009 he left due to injuries and the need for a knee operation.
He set up his own business teaching first aid and Health & Safety and runs many community projects in schools providing free first aid for children. He has managed to raise over £400,000 for charities. His latest challenge saw him climb the national 3 peaks just 9 months after having his leg amputated.