Ed Sheeran made the £10,000 donation which with Gift Aid totalled £12,500 after Myton supporter John Parker contacted him about his fundraising challenge. John is running the Virtual London Marathon in aid of the charity as thanks for the care the Myton at Home team gave to his mum at the end of her life.
John was part of folk duo Nizlopi formed in Leamington Spa and before Ed Sheeran became an international artist he sometimes worked as a guitar tech for the band and opened some shows for them even quoting "Everything I know about live performance I learned from them".
We are sure you'll remember their classic UK number one JCB (song) from 2005!
John contacted Ed on the ‘off chance’ to ask for help spreading the word about his fundraising and was amazed when just a few hours later he had received a £10,000 donation on his JustGiving page from ‘Ted’.
John was quick to let Myton know about the incredible donation, he said:
I’m massively touched by Ed’s sponsorship, kindness and support; it proves that no matter how famous you get, you can still be a top person.
This year The Myton Hospices needs to raise £7.8 million to continue providing its services free of charge, to people in Coventry and Warwickshire with life limiting illnesses, and their families.
Ruth Freeman, CEO of The Myton Hospices said:
We are blown away by Ed Sheeran’s donation and would like to thank him for his generosity and support, it really will make a big difference to our patients and their families.
John has done such a fantastic job training for his marathon, and continuing to raise awareness and vital funds for Myton and we can’t thank him enough! None of our work would be possible without people like him.
John is running the Virtual London Marathon on 3rd October 2021 and you can find out more about his challenge by clicking here and make a donation by clicking here.
While you're here - why not take a listen to Ed cover Nizlopi's - All My Life from over a decade ago!