‘Big Tour’ cleared for take-off
Air traffic control group team up with Triumph for an epic 3000-mile charity ride
A group of four air traffic controllers are raising money for Prostate Cancer UK and Aerobility with a 3000-mile charity ride, in partnership with Triumph Motorcycles.
All four belong to the NATS group, who provide air traffic control services to some 2.5 million flights and 250 million passengers travelling in UK airspace each year. They are Richard Fell, Wayne Clarke, Harvey McVicar, and Shaun Bellairs-Wray.
The aeronautical-themed ride will take the quartet to all 24 NATS and NATS Solutions air traffic control units in the UK and Europe, starting at Aberdeen Airport on Sunday, April 14 before snaking through the rest of Scotland, Northern Ireland, England, Wales, and even Gibraltar Airport later in the month.
“Our company have supported Aerobility for the last 12 years, so we’ve got a direct link in to them,” Shaun Bellairs-Wray told MCN. “I’ve seen prostate cancer first hand and that’s the reason I’m doing it.”
The ride has been dubbed ‘The Big Tour, 24 in 2024’, which relates to the number of sites that will be visited during this trip. Although still weeks away from leaving, almost £11,900 has already been raised for Prostate Cancer UK, with a further £3900 secured for Aerobility.
Each location will be visited aboard a fleet of new Triumph Tiger 1200 and 900 GT Pro adventure bikes, which have been supplied by the Hinckley firm following a chance meeting between Richard Fell and James Bond stunt coordinator, Lee Morrison.
“I heard through the grapevine that one of my neighbours’ houses had sold and it was being bought by somebody to do with the stunt team on the James Bond films,” Richard explained.
“He’s an ambassador for Triumph, so I mentioned the fact that we were doing this… so we got Triumph UK and the central marketing team on board, and they said they would help us.”
Part of the money raised will go towards Aerobility’s Solidarity Wings Fund, which is a new initiative for 2024 that enables three people with disabilities to have an opportunity to take on an 18-hour flying scholarship supported by the charity.
“They are not only navigating the roads but also steering change and making a profound impact,” the charity’s Chief Operations Officer, Brian Wheeler said. “We are deeply grateful for their decision to support our fund, allowing people with disabilities to experience the transformative joy of flight.
“Their journey not only symbolises the spirit of adventure but also the power of collective action in driving positive change.”
The decision to support Prostate Cancer UK was also born out of personal loss for the team.
Wayne Clarke explained: “I lost a friend to the disease in May last year. He was a colleague and I’d worked with him for 20 years, and he basically took ill during lockdown one in 2020 and by the time they caught it, it was stage four.”
On top of support from Triumph, the team have also received backing from the likes of OMG Racing, Arai, Cardo, Brittany Ferries and more.
To raise further funds and awareness, they will also be auctioning off a new Arai Tour-X5 adventure lid, signed by a range of motorcycle racers including John McGuinness and James Hillier, as well as TV personalities, and the 007 stunt team from the movie
No Time To Die.
Visit 24in24.co.uk for more information and to make donations to the good causes.
‘My neighbour worked on the Bond movie’