Couple will drive to Mongolia and back – in their VW Beetle called Betty!
ACOUPLE with a Widnes shop will be driving their Volkswagen Beetle to Mongolia and back to raise cash for charity.
Heather and Colin Maddox will take the 20,000-mile trip on Sunday, July 16, starting from Goodwood Race Circuit near Chichester.
The pair – who have been together for more than 20 years after meeting as students of Rainford High School in St Helens – share a love of classic cars and motorbikes.
They run Aline Mobility which has branches in St Helens and Widnes.
They were inspired to take the trip with their 1971 Beetle named Betty after watching Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman’s Long Way Round and the series Marco Polo.
An internet search then led them to the Mongol Rally and they decided to raise money and awareness for Claire House Children’s Hospice.
Heather, 40, said: “We bought the Beetle, named her Betty, and decided not to respray her as she is a mix of all the colours she has been – like a patchwork quilt.
“Colin is driving there and back, and I am driving there but flying back once we reach the finish line so I can get back in time for our daughter going back to school in September.
“Colin will be away for 12 weeks, ● whereas I’ll be back after about six. Colin’s dad, who’s 72, will be joining Colin when I fly back, so he’s part of the big adventure too!”
The couple, who have a 15-year-old daughter and now live in Lathom, have named themselves The Mongol Wanderers.
Heather added: “Me and Colin will be taking it in turns to drive to Mongolia – we will be driving more than 20,000 miles in total.
“We will have no help on the way, no GPS, no back-up vehicle, no breakdown cover, just us out in the big wide world to fend for ourselves.”
They are hoping to pass through France, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan before reaching Mongolia.
Colin said: “We chose the Claire House charity as it’s very close to our hearts – we look after their disabled equipment so we visit Claire House regularly.
“What they do to support terminally ill children and their families is exceptional, and they well deserve any funds we can raise to help provide more care and comfort for terminally ill children .
“All donations are gratefully received, including items for raffle and tombola prizes.”
Handicare is sponsoring the feat and covering trip costs, with any money left over from sponsorship to be donated to Claire House.
To donate visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Betty-Maddox