Special stay-at home campout organised for NHS

The initiative, called the Great British Campout for NHS Staff, asks people to camp out at home while donating £2 to the cause.

The first initiative was held on Saturday and has so far managed to raise more than £100,000 on the fundraising website JustGiving.

Now an Easter campout Edition is scheduled to take part over the Easter Bank Holiday.

The event's organiser, Ian Alcorn, from Nottinghamshire, originally set out to raise £100. But he told the BBC he is thrilled and has been left emotional by how much the initiative took off.

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Among those to take part was Colin Parsons, 44, and his two daughters Grace, 10, and Lydia, 7, who are from Perton. They took part in Colin's Volkswagen campervan on his drive.

Their mother Laura, 40, a midwife at Walsall Manor Hospital, could not take part as she was self-isolating inside due to having Covid-19 symptoms.

Colin said: "Our reason for doing it is my wife works for the NHS. Unfortuantely she couldn't do it as she was self-isolating."

He added: "We are members of the VW camper community. But you haven't got to have a VW to take part. The campaign is urging people to put a tent up in their backgardens."

As the country is in lockdown and camp sites have been shut around the country, people are being asked to make a £2 as a make-shift entry fee.

There is a Facebook page set up for the campout initiative. It has seen entertainment provided such as quizzes alongside singers broadcasting live.

For more information, search for Great British Campout for NHS staff on Facebook. To donate visit justgiving.com/fundraising/greatbritishcampout