TEENAGE leukaemia sufferer George Jackson is set to join Sir Ian ‘Beefy’ Botham on his latest charity challenge.

Sir Ian has selected the 13-year old Holmbridge lad as his ‘local hero’ for the Leeds leg of his Great British Walk.

George, who was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2009, has already enjoyed a special evening of ice skating at London’s Canary Wharf Ice Rink to mark the launch of the event in support of leukaemia and lymphoma research.

The youngster has had a bone marrow transplant and is now in remission and is hopeful about his long-term health.

Now he is set to walk all the way from Leeds to Nostell Priory with ‘Beefy’ on the third stage of the England cricket legend’s challenge.

The 10-day long walk, Sir Ian’s 14th charity challenge, will see him stride a total of 150 miles at 10 different locations around Britain.

Now Beefy has put out the call for other people to join his mission to beat childhood blood cancer.

He said: “These brave children will be joining the walk this year and you can too.”

Since his first legendary walk from John O’Groats to Land’s End, Sir Ian has been determined to beat the disease – raising over £13 million in the process.

In 1985 only 20% of children survived the most common form of childhood leukaemia – now more than 90% survive this disease.

But there are still children and teenagers losing their battle.

Sir Ian said he was determined to keep walking until every child survived blood cancer.

He added: “These kids are living proof of the improvements in treatments that have been achieved since my first walk in 1985.

“But children are still dying and for those that survive, the treatments can be gruelling.

“I need people to sign up to join me on the walk and start fundraising.

“I won’t stop until we’ve beaten childhood blood cancer, but I can’t do it without you.”

Beefy’s Great British Walk 2012 starts in Drumpellier Park, Glasgow, finishing at Ham House and Garden, Richmond, London.

The four-mile Leeds leg on Saturday April 14 will arrive at Nostell Priory Park at 1pm, where members of the public can join him and his celebrity friends to walk the final few miles and support him all the way to the finish line.

Entry fees (£15 for adults, £5 for under 12s) for Beefy’s Great British Walk cover your entry, a walk T-shirt, support and medal.

Participants are asked to try and raise a further £150 that could buy essential laboratory materials for vital research.

Sign up at: www.beatingbloodcancers.org.uk/beefywalk2012