Caravan Man: Viral eBay caravan will be coming to Worthing for The Sand Project - with follow-up book raising money for British Heart Foundation

It all started with an amusing listing for the 1980 Ci Europa 4 Berth caravan and a starting bid of £15. Mike Ellis from Lytham St Annes in Lancashire had been tasked with selling the family caravan after his father died in December.

He wrote: "This was our family caravan, it's in half decent nick considering its age. The skylight leaks but if you know what you're doing it'll be a quick fix and due to strategic bucket placement there is no other impacts to the overall well being of this slightly beige house on wheels.

"I'll level with you I don't care if it sells or not, my parents held onto it for years with some crazy notion that I'd want to do it and their old Triumph 2000 up as a project. I don't. I don't want to take up badminton either but it doesn't stop mum constantly trying to convince me to try it."

He continued the story over several weeks and his hilarious updates caught the eye of the national press, as well as Kate Wilson, managing director of The SAND Project, a small community enterprise project in Worthing that has grown into a college, café and creative hub.

The college creates accessible work and life training in business and enterprise, and Leigh Harris, head of brand, described the purchase as a 'fabulously mad idea' to help the students.

She said: "Kate bought the students a run down caravan to use as part of their enterprise education and development but not just any caravan, this caravan went viral after the hilarious eBay listing was shared and loved.

"Caravan Man Mike became an accidental internet celebrity. After Kate put in a bid, she drove up and saw this rundown caravan, a beautiful beast of a thing. Now we are looking for help transporting it from Lancashire to Worthing."

The caravan was being sold 'collection only' and Kate saw it as a marvellous opportunity for the students, not only to work on the restoration of the caravan but planning the logistics of moving it down south and how it will be used in future.

All the money she paid will be donated to the British Heart Foundation in memory of Mike's dad. With Mike's approval, The SAND Project is putting his words into a book and £2 per copy will go to the charity as well. The book has been edited by Kate with graphic design by Leigh and illustrations by Corrina Holyoake. It will be going on sale in August, pre-order at sand-print.co.uk.

The Caravan and Motorhome Club at Northbrook Farm, in Titnore Way, has agreed to store the caravan but any help in transporting it would be welcome.

The SAND Project launched in Lyndhurst Road, where SAND Hub is now based, and expanded to Thorn Road last year, where Sand College and Sand Bay café are based. Visit www.thesandproject.co.uk for more information.

Also in the news: Back to 2011 for the launch of Souldiers by the Sea, with hundreds of scooter riders heading to Worthing

See also: Worthing artist’s unique garden, as seen on Channel 4’s Shed of the Year, opens for National Garden Scheme