FIFTY miles on a bike - and every one of them will raise more cash for our Guardian Angels appeal.

This sporty teenager will be pedalling furiously to boost our campaign coffers when he takes on a 50-mile fundraising cycle ride this spring.

Joshua Williams, 15, from Sheriff Hutton, near York, is raising money for our appeal as part of his Duke of Edinburgh Award.

"Fundraising appealed to me more than anything else," he said.

"I saw the appeal in The Press and thought it would be good thing to do to raise money to help children."

Joshua has never cycled as much as 50 miles before. He plans to complete the distance from his home village, pedalling up to Easingwold and surrounding villages.

He is asking friends and family to sponsor his effort, and hopes to raise as much as £200.

Mum Christine said: "I think it's a really nice idea that he's helping somebody else. I think the Duke of Edinburgh scheme is a really good thing for children to do, and also if they can help somebody else at the same time, that's great.

"It's a very worthwhile cause, I think it's a really good idea. I would hate to have to take a sick child to Leeds or anywhere else.

"I'm very proud of what he's doing."

Our Guardian Angels appeal aims to raise £300,000 for a new high dependency unit for York Hospital's children's ward.

The money will fund two life-saving high-dependency rooms with new, specialised equipment, which will improve life for the sickest children going to hospital.

This unit would be the first of its kind in the region that could deal with youngsters arriving as emergencies.

It will cater for children suffering from illnesses including meningitis, septicemia, breathing difficulties, viral chest infections, obstructions of the voice box, severe asthma, bronchiolitis, convulsions or coma and physical injury.

Children would have immediate access to the right treatment instead of waiting for ventilators and monitors to be taken from other patients.

It will mean many more youngsters can be treated in York rather than having to be transferred further afield, to cities like Leeds.