A DETERMINED dad from Renfrewshire set off on a mammoth drive to Africa on Saturday to raise much-needed funds for the charity that cared for his terminally ill son.

Jonathan Kelly and his brother Phil, both from Bridge of Weir, are making the journey to the Sahara Desert in a Smart car decorated to look like a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe. 

The pair have already smashed their £10,000 target, raising more than £15,450 for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS), which runs Robin House in Balloch, where Jonathan’s son, Rafferty, was cared for. 

The pair were waved off from the hospice in fitting style by Bo Cox, who uses Robin House, and Jonathan’s sons Drummond and Wilf – all driving Cozy Coupes.

Jonathan said: “We’re overwhelmed we have smashed our £10,000 fundraising target and can’t thank our friends, family and the public enough.”

Jonathan and his wife Lynne used Robin House in 2014, when Rafferty was diagnosed with Type 1 Spinal Muscular Atrophy. 

The youngster was looked after by Great Ormond Street Hospital staff before being transferred for end-of-life care to Robin House, where the family spent three weeks together before Rafferty sadly died at nine weeks old. 

Jonathan and his brother came up with the idea of the desert trip to thank the staff for all the support they gave the family in their time of need.

Jonathan added: “We were able to make memories that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. Robin House made an awful time in our lives easier than it could have been.”

The Kellys’ journey will last around a week and take them through France and Spain before travelling by ferry to Morocco and down to the western Sahara.

The pair will drive to Gibraltar as part of a charity banger rally before making the rest of the journey on their own.

Jonathan Clegg, CHAS community fundraiser, said: “We rely on the public to fund our services and we’re encouraging the community to get behind Team Cozy Coupe.”