Army bikers raise £35,000 in European challenge

THREE fundraising York soldiers will roar back into town today after a marathon 12-day motorbike ride across eight countries.

The signallers were set to return to Imphal Barracks today after journeying 3,740 miles to raise money for army charities.

It will be a triumphant return for the servicemen after they smashed their fundraising expectations.

Major Craig Sutherland, warrant officer Colin Bell and Sergeant Yogi Welch, of 2nd Signal Regiment based in York,have raised £35,000 to help injured and needy servicemen and their families - £15,000 more than planned.

The cash is being split between the Army Benevolent Fund and Help for Heroes charity.

The first phase saw the three bikers visiting Catterick, Edinburgh, Lisburn in Northern Ireland, Stafford, Nuneaton, Donnington, Brawdy in Wales, Hereford, Colerne, Corsham, Milton Keynes and Colchester.

The second phase of the tour saw them travel to the Hook of Holland and from there to Maastricht, Bruggen, Krefeld, Gutersloh, Herford, Celle and Osnabruck before riding through France to Calais to begin the final leg of the journey.

The final phase took the trio through Dover, Aldershot, Netheravon, Bulford, Tidworth, and finally Blandford, where they presented the funds raised to a representative from the Help for Heroes charity and the regional fundraising director of the Army Benevolent Fund, Brigadier (Retired) David Shaw.

The Corps Tour 2008 as it has been dubbed, also saw the trio visit Royal Signals units all across the UK and Europe to collect the cash from a variety of fundraising events.

Craig Sutherland, the Regiment's Second-in-Command, told of the generosity of the local business community: "When we left York we had almost reached our original target and it has amazed us how we have added to the charity cash on each step of our journey.

"People have been very generous and donated to our website as well as to the various fundraising efforts that have been held in Yorkshire and the different countries we visited. We have also been very grateful for the sponsorship and goods donated by local firms either to enable the bikes to run such as servicing or tyres, to travel across the Channel or as prizes for a fundraising raffle."

The Help for Heroes charity aims to improve facilities for injured soldiers at the medical rehabilitation centre at Headley Court in Surrey and the Army Benevolent Fund provides assistance for the solders past and present, and their families, in their time of need.



original article
Army Bikers Raise 35 000 In European Challenge (from York Press)