Customers will be offered the chance to make a contribution of £1 per booking towards Daft as a Brush’s transport service, which collects patients from their homes for hospital appointments, before dropping them off afterwards.

Additionally, staff at family-owned Dawson & Sanderson have already lined up bake sales, tuck shops, bike rides, sponsored runs and a zip-line dash from the Tyne Bridge to help reach the charity’s fundraising target.

Chris Harrison, managing director of Dawson & Sanderson, said: “We were looking for a north-east charity to support and the answer was right on our doorstep. The Daft as a Brush ambulances are so eye-catching, ferrying patients to appointments.

“It’s an amazing charity with such an inspiring story to tell and a real credit to the north-east.

“I am thrilled that both our staff and customers have shown genuine affection and support for Daft as a Brush and we have already raised almost £2,000 in little over a month.”

Daft as a Brush founder Brian Burnie added: “Dawson & Sanderson, like ourselves, is proud to support the people and communities of the region.”