Hundreds swelled the ranks of the People’s March for the NHS at the weekend as it continued through Yorkshire in high spirits.

On Saturday the 50 marchers walked from Leeds to Wakefield, accompanied by members of public-sector union Unison’s Mid-Yorkshire NHS branch.

A rally was held on Saturday afternoon in Wakefield and yesterday the marchers trekked to Barnsley accompanied by more than 200 supporters.

Gmb national health officer Rehana Azam is among 50 walking all the way to Westminster in protest over privatisation.

And she told the Star yesterday about the growing momentum on the march.

“Our numbers are swelling, hundreds have been joining the march,” she said.

“Today there are people from Manchester and Stockport marching with us.

“What we are finding is that people are coming up to us and sharing their stories and their concerns about the NHS.”

Today the marchers walk to Sheffield where trade unions and campaigners plan another warm welcome.

They set off from Jarrow in north-east England on Saturday August 16 to walk 300 miles to London where they plan to issue their “999 Call for the NHS” to MPs.

The march follows the route of the historic Jarrow Crusade for jobs in 1936.

It was the idea of a group of mothers in Darlington, dubbed the Darlomums, who are appalled at the coalition government’s privatisation and destruction of the National Health Service.

Fifty campaigners are walking 300 miles to London, and are being welcomed along the way by supporters as they pass through 23 towns and cities.

They arrive in London on September 6.

More than 3,000 supporters are expected to join the march en route.

Today they will be welcomed by Sheffield trade unionists at Hillsborough Park at 3pm and at Weston Park at 5pm.

Tomorrow they will be given a rousing send-off from Hallamshire Hospital at 10.30am as they leave Sheffield to walk to Chesterfield in Derbyshire.

Ms Azam added: “The people doing the full 300 miles are in fantastic spirits.”