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A paramedic from Nelson will walk from Liverpool to Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff next week to raise money for charity.

Andrew Jones, 51, will start the gruelling 160-mile (257km) challenge on Monday August 14 to show support to friend and colleague Ian Jones, 53.

The pair are based at Hawthorn Ambulance Station in Pontypridd and Andrew is doing the challenge to support Velindre, where Ian is currently undergoing cancer treatment.

Father-of-three Ian, who is originally from Liverpool, was diagnosed with a melanoma, a type of skin cancer in 2022, after discovering the small mole on his back was changing.

Following numerous scans and operations over the past year, the cancer unfortunately spread to his brain.

Andrew said: “Me and Ian started on the same day, on the same course and were partners on the road for a couple of months before we went off in different directions.

“Some weeks, I would spend more time with him than my wife.

“When I heard about Ian’s diagnosis, I wanted to do something for him, and I thought, well I can walk, so why not walk to raise some money for charity.”

Andrew continued: “I have decided to start in Liverpool, as Ian is a proud Scouser, and work my way down to Velindre Cancer Centre, stopping at ambulance stations along the route.

“Lots of people have already donated, which is amazing, and I’m hoping some more staff and friends will join me on certain sections of the walk – especially the last stretch from Merthyr, where my wife and two boys, and Ian and his family, are hoping to join in.”

Despite an original fundraising target of £1,000, Andrew has so far raised more than double that.

He will be joined on the walk by emergency medical technician Penny King, who will be driving a campervan which Andrew will sleep in during the nights.

Speaking about his condition, Ian said: “My advice to others would be that if you have moles, or you suspect your mole is changing then you need to get them checked out.

“I’m still trying to do as much as possible, as I don’t want to let the diagnosis consume me. My plan is to get back into work.”

He continued: “Staff at Welsh Ambulance Service Trust are constantly visiting, picking me up and taking me out to coffee, and Andrew, who joined the trust on the same day as me 13 years ago, is taking on a fundraising mission to support me, which is amazing, and I can’t believe he volunteered to do it.”

Mike Howells, who is the duty operational manager at Hawthorn Station, said: “After giving multiple years of service to the trust, it was very sad to see Ian step down from active duty.

“However, it’s great to see staff like Andrew supporting their colleagues as it shows how compassionate and caring our staff are.

“We are wishing Andrew the best of luck and Ian a swift recovery and hope he is able to come back to work soon.”

Visit Andrew’s JustGiving page to make a donation.