A BEREAVED North Yorkshire father is desperately searching for a golf club in the region to host a charity day in memory of his young son.

As reported in the Evening Press last Friday, Jonathan Scarlett-Abbott, of Langton, near Malton, is unable to hold the fundraising event at his local club.

Now he is appealing to other clubs in the region to offer their help so he can raise as much money as possible for a new specialist ambulance.

Mr Scarlett-Abbott launched the fundraising appeal with his wife, Fiona, after their seven-year-old son died of a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

Joshua's life was prolonged by ECMO (Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation), a bypass system which oxygenates the blood outside the body, allowing the lungs to rest and heal from infection.

Now the couple are determined to buy a specialist ECMO paediatric ambulance to benefit other children.

Mr Scarlett-Abbott said: "The golf day should attract a lot of sporting personalities and big businesses so we are looking for a club to host it. We want to raise as much money as we possibly can for the appeal so we can buy the ambulance sooner rather than later."

The couple have already raised more than £10,000 thanks to generous donations from the public.

Managers at Monks Cross shopping Park, in York, were so moved by Joshua's story that the proceeds from their Santa's Grotto went straight to the appeal.

The festive collection raised a total of £437, and volunteers managed to raise a further £147 when they held a collection at the shopping centre.

Evening Press readers have also donated cash after reading about Joshua in the paper.

Fundraising events are planned for next year and collections are currently taking place throughout the York area.

To offer the use of a golf club in the area, or to contribute towards the Joshua Scarlett-Abbott ECMO Ambulance Appeal, write to Carrier House, Main Street, Langton, Malton, York YO17 9QP, or telephone 0870 9077101.

Updated: 09:46 Tuesday, January 14, 2003