THEY’VE walked 300 miles, spoken at dozens of campaign rallies and put Darlington on the map.

The Darlo Mums, backed by hundreds of supporters, completed their People’s March for the NHS this weekend, ending with a rally attended by an estimated 5,000 people in Trafalgar Square.

Mirroring the route of the historic 1936 Jarrow March, the three week campaign called for a halt to the ‘creeping privatisation’ of the NHS and a national debate on the future of the health service.

Politicians, trade unionists and NHS staff, joined by ordinary members of the public, gave their backing to the march, including singer Billy Bragg, director Ken Loach and shadow health secretary Andy Burnham MP.

Labour leader Ed Miliband added his praise to the campaign on Twitter, saying: “The Darlo Mums are a true inspiration.

“I’m proud the whole Labour movement has come together to support their campaign for the NHS.”

Speaking at the London rally Mr Burnham said: "Surely even the great Nye Bevan couldn't have imagined a group with more faith and fight for his NHS than these Darlington mums.

"In them, David Cameron has more than met his match and their fighting spirit will give hope to people everywhere that the NHS can be rescued from the damage caused by his Government."

Co-founder and Darlington mum Rehana Azam, a GMB union officer for health, said the march and its message had sparked a reaction from people who were concerned for the future of the NHS.

She added: “We’re just an ordinary group of mums from Darlington but we wanted to raise attention to what this government is doing to our national health service.

“What we’ve done has captured a mood that the government can’t ignore. Thousands of people came out to join us along the way and that says it all.”

Twenty four people completed the full 300 miles, supported by a team of co-ordinators who found them accommodation and food in each of the 23 overnight stops.

“We had no money and no way to pay for somewhere for people to sleep each night but in every town and city there were people to put us up and make sure we had breakfast, lunch and dinner – they wanted to do their bit and show their support.”

A petition of signatures gathered during the march will be presented to the government, along with a challenge to politicians to publicly debate the future direction of the NHS.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "Use of the private sector in the NHS represents only six per cent of the total NHS budget - an increase of just one per cent since May 2010.

"Charities, social enterprises and other healthcare providers continue to play an important role for the NHS, as they have done for many years - however, it is now local doctors and nurses who make decisions about who is best placed to provide care for their patients."