Driving duo take on 3200 mile challenge in 1961 Morris Minor 1000 for Military Charity
AN ADVENTUROUS duo are taking on a 3200-mile driving challenge in a 1961 Morris Minor 1000 to raise money for Military Charity Blesma, the limbless veterans.
Graeme Swann, 25, from Staffordshire and Tom Raines, 24, from Cheshire set off Friday 14th October from Staffordshire heading towards their final destination of Murcia, Spain. Along the journey the driving team will also visit war sites and memorials including Normandy Beaches, Thiepval memorial, Verdun Memorial and Douaumont Ossuary.
Qualified mechanic and also co-driver for the trip Tom said, “As soon as Graeme approached me with the idea, I was up for the challenge. It’s a new way of giving back to those who gave a lot already. I have a lot of family who have served so it was a great charity choice.”
The duo believe that the journey will take just over two weeks to complete. Destinations for the departing journey including Folkestone, Le Mans, Bordeaux, Biarritz, Zaragoza, Valencia and destinations for the return journey including Valencia, Barcelona, Andorra, Clermont Ferrand, Orleans, Verdun, Theipval, and Calais.
“We are prepared for any problems with the car by taking a collection of tools with us for the journey. We plan to camp out quite a bit too so have all the camping necessities. Fingers crossed we make it there and back and can celebrate with a beer.”
Despite the long hours that the two friends will be travelling together, Tom believes there will be no arguments. Though the pair have joked that they will leave the other behind if so.
If you would like to donate to Graeme and Tom’s fundraising, you can visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/AdventurerInTraining
Blesma, The Limbless Veterans is the national armed forces charity for all limbless service men and women, their widows and dependents. It was formed in the years following the First World War and became a national charity in 1932.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editor
Hi-res images can be downloaded from the links below:
Tom (L) and Graeme (R) - http://blesma.org/media/439342/adventurers-in-training.jpg
About Blesma, The Limbless Veterans
Blesma, The Limbless Veterans is the national charity for all limbless serving and ex-service men and women, their widows and dependants. It is a membership organisation which helps wounded service men and women rebuild their lives by providing rehabilitation activities and welfare support. Their membership includes those who have lost the use of a limb, an eye or the sight of an eye.
Blesma was formed in the years following the First World War and became a national charity in 1932. Blesma today has around 3,500 Members and widows. The membership consists of men and women who have served during the Second World War and the many subsequent conflicts and peacekeeping operations since, including the Falklands, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.
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For further information on Blesma, The Limbless Veterans, contact
Jessica Mackinnon, In-house Journalist
T: 020 8548 3514