Young footballers have cleaned up their town to help get a local man the wheelchair that could change his life.

Members of Askam United Junior Football Club were out and about with their litter pickers on Saturday, October 26.

This was done to raise money on behalf of Neil Jones who has been fundraising alongside his partner Emily Blowers for an all-terrain wheelchair.

The kids cleaned up throughout the village - including the beachThe kids cleaned up throughout the village - including the beach (Image: Stuart Porter)

The former soldier had haemorrhagic strokes in April 2021 and spent months in a coma and neurological rehabilitation, which has left him with limited movement.

The current chair that the dad-of-three uses allows him to get out of the house but is slow and has no front and back lights or indicators.

The young footballers filled eight bags with rubbishThe young footballers filled eight bags with rubbish (Image: Stuart Porter)

To show their support for Neil and help him reach his £10,000 goal, over 100 kids got involved with the litter pick, carrying collection buckets on the day to boost donations.

Read more: Askam kids support man's fund for 'life-changing' wheelchair | The Mail

Stuart Porter is an old friend of Neil's and is the chairman of the football club, which has allowed him to combine the two for the fundraiser.

He said: "What a fantastic effort from our juniors, who have spent several hours between them litter picking in the village.

"They’ve covered all the streets of the village, along with the beach and parks, and, overall, the juniors have filled over eight bin bags full of litter."

The money raised will go towards local dad Neil JonesThe money raised will go towards local dad Neil Jones (Image: Stuart Porter) Get more stories of local people supporting their community. Subscribe to The Mail in this flash sale

Originally, the goal of the club was to raise at least £450 but, thanks to the support of the local community, the online total currently stands at £750 - with the intake from collection buckets still to be added.

Stuart and the team have gone to similar efforts in the past, raising money for Children in Need, but decided to back a worthy local cause this time around.

You can still show your support by donating to the club's fundraising page, which you can find here.