Mum will drive to Moldova after grandad's death in car crash

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THE granddaughter of a Bolton man who died in a car crash is getting ready to take on a mammoth challenge in his memory - by driving a lorry to Moldova.

Grandparents Stanley Parker and Ann Parker, from Hunger Hill, were involved in a car crash on June 21 last year in Indian Queens, a village near Newquay in Cornwall.

The couple's red Citroen Xsara Picasso rolled over several times and came to rest on its roof after the accident on the road's westbound carriageway.

Mr Parker, aged 88, suffered serious injuries, and died two weeks later in Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.

The Crown Prosecution Service and Devonshire Police revealed last month they would be taking no further action against Mrs Parker, aged 71, who was driving the car.

Now, in memory of her grandfather, mother-of-three Julie Dowd is taking on a charity convoy challenge, driving from the UK to the former Soviet state, Moldova, to help disadvantaged children.

The charity, Communication Workers Union Humanitarian Aid (CWUHA), sends 20 aid convoys a year to schools, hospitals, single parent hostels and orphanages throughout eastern Europe.

Miss Dowd, aged 35, said: "I was distraught when I lost my grandad.

"I know how difficult it is to just lose someone, but the poor children who are in orphanages have not had the best start and when they have lost their parents they are too young to grieve.

"I decided to take a completely different route in fundraising, so this year in September I will be driving to Moldova from the UK to help these children for three weeks to bring a smile to their faces."

Starting on September 11, Miss Dowd will be driving almost 2,000 miles, over five days, in a seven-and-a-half tonne HGV to provide supplies to children in need.

Supported by her workplace, Debt Free Direct, Miss Dowd will have to take an HGV driving test before she is able to make the trip.

She added: "I have done fundraising before but now my grandad and grandma are my inspiration.

"I want them both to be proud of me and also take my grandma's mind off what happened.

"She is truly an inspiration for coming out the other side and I want her to be proud of me for raising money for such a good cause."

To support Miss Dowd's cause, go to: justgiving.com/FPCWUHA2015/