Grovedale pair rallies support for journey to Mongolia

JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
A PAIR of Grovedale adventurers will tackle an arduous rally from London to Mongolia.
Police dispatcher Matthew Cummings and mechanical engineer Aaron Bandy plan to leave for London next month to buy their one-litre racing car and supplies for July’s Mongol Rally.
Teams entering the long-running event raise money for charities while driving unsuitable vehicles across Europe and Asia.
But the first challenge facing the Grovedale pair was gathering enough donations to their Team Half Way Round.
“We have to get our charity donations up – they’re sadly lagging at £35,” Mr Cummings conceded.
“We’ll be out in the next month bugging friends, family and businesses into supporting our charities.”
Mr Cummings said the team would raise money for Christina Noble Children’s Foundation and WaterAid.
The also intended to donate their vehicle to authorities but admitted it may be of little value after crossing the rugged terrain of countries like Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.
Mr Cummings said his “uncanny ability” to find his way home from pubs in strange towns would stand him in good stead as the team’s navigator.
His preparations included watching Eurotrip, all the National Lampoon vacation movies and buying a travel book on Mongolia.
Mr Bandy said he was a mechanic who “taught MacGyver everything he knows”.
His preparation comprised a single gym session before Christmas.
Despite their light-hearted banter, both men conceded the trip would be dangerous.
“There’s a warning on the adventurists website saying the chance of being seriously injured or dying is high,” Mr Bandy said.
Mr Cummings said the team was named after Long Way Round, a television documentary series featuring actors Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman.