A BRAVE father who threw himself into charity work after tragically losing his hero son has raised an amazing £15,000 for charity.

Billy Monkhouse was inspired to give something back to the armed forces, even though his hero son Stephen paid the ultimate price after being shot dead while serving his country.

The Scots Guard died while saving a wounded colleague in Afghanistan in July 2010 — aged only 28.

He was posthumously awarded the Military Cross for his bravery.
Since then Billy, helped by friends and family, has thrown himself into fundraising for the Armed Forces and has managed to collect thousands of pounds to help other stricken servicemen and their families.

Billy, 58, a local driving instructor, said: “I just wanted to give something back.

“I felt I was doing it for Stephen, especially at the beginning when I was raising money for Help for Heroes.

“It made you realise that people’s families can go into any war zone and lose their lives. There are also the many soldiers who come back injured and I thought about how I could make a difference to those people’s lives too.

“I went down to York Minster for a ceremony to welcome the troops back from Afghanistan in 2010.

“It was very humbling. Both sides of the church was lined with people who had limbs missing and all sorts of injuries.

“Although they were very unlucky losing their limbs, they still came back.

"However they still have to cope with the injuries they are left with for the rest of their natural lives.”

The Greenock man, who lives with his wife Jackie in Dunlop Street, says he regularly visits Stephen’s grave, but feels that his son is ‘with him all the time’.

He said: “I don’t feel that he is up there in the cemetery. I don’t need to go there.

“I go to Wellpark sometimes to visit his tree or his memorial bench at Ashton, but I remember him everywhere I go.

“I want to keep his memory alive and if this fundraising helps to do that, I’m pleased.”

Billy has contributed to several good causes throughout the years.

He added: “I didn’t do this on my own — it was in conjunction with other people, so all the credit isn’t mine.”

The causes he has helped include the Scots Guard Colonel’s Fund, The Forces Children’s Trust, Poppy Scotland and The British Legion.

He has also kept in touch with Stephen’s army friends, but knows that life must go on.

Billy said: “Like everyone else you feel it is the end of the world when it happens to you. Grief affects everyone in different ways but it doesn’t make it any easier.”

He looked closer to home for his latest fundraising efforts, helping Ardgowan Hospice alongside regulars from the Hole in the Wa’ pub.

Billy — who runs the disco and karaoke in the pub at weekend — and pals raised £2,000 by holding a race day, raffle and bonus ball lottery competition, while one Morton-supporting regularly contributed £450 to the hospice fund after losing a Ton-related bet with Billy.

He said: “Everyone knows someone who has been cared for by the hospice and it needs donations every day to keep it going.

“We were all delighted to make this contribution.”