THE daughter of Northwich's first ever paramedic is continuing her dad's legacy of saving lives by raising money for the ambulance charities which meant so much to him.
David Dickens, who dedicated 40 years to the North West Ambulance Service, died unexpectedly on May 6, aged 76.
He became one of the first people in the country to qualify as a paramedic when the role was still in its infancy, earning the distinction of becoming Northwich's first paramedic in 1989.
His daughter, Kerri Benson, and granddaughter, Cloe, are now preparing to run the Chester Half Marathon in May 2027 to raise money for the North West Air Ambulance Charity and North West Ambulance Service.
The pair hope to honour the memory of a man whose life was devoted to helping others.
Kerri said: "From the day he joined the ambulance service in 1974, it became his mission to help people and save lives.
"He absolutely loved his work.
"He delivered 39 babies over the course of his career, and he used to have people come up to him in the street to thank him for saving someone's life."
Born in Moulton in 1949, David attended Moulton Primary School and Hartford High before completing an apprenticeship as a mechanic.
After a spell working at ICI, he decided the job was not for him and followed in the footsteps of an uncle who worked for the ambulance service.
He joined as an ambulance technician in 1974 and rose through the ranks to become a station leader, before qualifying as a paramedic in 1989.
According to his family, he remained a well-known and respected figure within the ambulance service long after retiring.
Kerri said: "He is still talked about there, even by people who never worked with him but know him by reputation.
"I know I am biased, but he was a truly well-liked and popular man.
"He is very sadly missed."
Away from work, David was a devoted family man.
Kerri added: "He was so caring towards us all and nothing was too much trouble.
"If you needed him, he was there."
His passion for emergency medicine extended beyond his day job.
He also served with Oulton Park's emergency medical team and worked as a paramedic at the Isle of Man TT races.
David's funeral took place at Vale Royal Crematorium on Monday, June 8, where colleagues formed a guard of honour in recognition of his decades of service.
In keeping with his wishes, donations made in his memory raised £1,000 for the North West Air Ambulance Charity.
A cheque presentation took place at Northwich Ambulance Station on Tuesday, September 1, and Kerri hopes the Chester Half Marathon fundraiser will raise even more while highlighting the work of the emergency services her father dedicated his life to.
She said: "During his time with the ambulance service, my dad touched the lives of so many people.
"Cloe and I wanted to do something in his memory and support causes which meant so much to him.
"We also want to raise awareness of the incredible life-saving work carried out by the North West Air Ambulance Charity and North West Ambulance Service every single day."
Anyone wishing to support Kerri and Cloe's fundraising can donate via their fundraising page.
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