At last, schoolboy Luke Hussey who suffers from a muscle-wasting disease is the proud owner of a new £17,500 wheelchair following a fundraising appeal.

It has taken months of money-spinners – with mum running a marathon, dad swimming the Channel, his best friend running 10km and people all over the Medway Towns offering their support.

Luke loves the outdoor life but a standard wheelchair cannot access those areas others take for granted. Luke volunteers with the 20th Gillingham Scout Group’s Beaver colony and in the past has had to miss out on activities where standard access is not possible.

His new all-terrain chair means he can now make the most of the great outdoors and access all areas of the countryside and enjoy the beach with his family and friends.

The courageous 15-year-old, of Hempstead Road, Gillingham, embarked on his first test session at Shorne Country Park at the weekend.

Mum Julie Hussey said: “Our first outing was brilliant as the new chair enabled Luke to get into play areas with his sisters and cousins. He couldn’t do this before. In the new chair he was able to get up the ramps, up and down hills and right into the play areas.

“It was lovely to see him smiling and was fantastic for us as parents to see him enjoying himself as he should.”

She added: “The chair has given him a new lease of life.”

Since Luke was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of four, parents Paul and Julie have raised £80,000 for Muscular Dystrophy UK to help other children with the condition.

But recently the couple, who run the Medway branch of the charity, decided they wanted to put their efforts into something more personal for Luke to help give him a better quality of life.

The new chair means Luke, who has already achieved a bronze Duke of Edinburgh award despite his disability, can now embark on his next challenge – to get a silver award.

Luke, who underwent major surgery last year to insert metal rods in his back, has already completed a 10k and 15k trek as part of his bronze award. But to progress to the next level, the determined Rochester Math School pupil needed the all-terrain chair to negotiate a more rigorous course.

Mrs Hussey added: “Despite his disability Luke does not let things get him down. He loves being in the countryside. When he took part in his bronze he was told he could do it indoors, but he chose to do the course outside.”

The money for the chair has been raised through coffee mornings, raffles and a golf day. The final push was made at a dinner and dance at the St George Hotel in Chatham earlier this month which raised £4,500.

It was also where Luke’s school friend Ryan Lovejoy presented him with a £600 cheque after completing a 10k run.

Mrs Hussey said: “Ryan had been secretly fundraising. It was the perfect end of our campaign.”