Any experince

[Tom1809]

Hi fella's

I don't know if this is the right place to post but I thought it would be the best place for maximum exposure to the many who might be able to share or offer advice and experiences.

I have always loved the thought of adventure & exploring. Going to many places, seeing some of the worlds history and doing something only a handful of people would have the balls to do in there life. I am very fortunate to have a partner who shares the same attitude and drive to do something of the sort. We both love what Ewan mcgregor, Charlie boorman done with the long way round a the long way down and I've always dreamt of doing something similar.

The thing is we have always wanted to do something for charity as We both have know elderly friends & relatives who have had cancer, those who very fortunately fought and survived and also those who succumbed and lost. About a week ago a close friend of my partner at the age of 19/20 was diagnosed with leukaemia, it really hit home with both of us and started the bug do something again to raise money. We have always wanted to do the mac4x4 challenge but due to age, insurance and a few other circumstances we have never been able to do it. Now this is where it starts getting tricky. I dream big and have big ambitions as well as a big gob. Which I really need to learn to keep shut sometimes as its what started this off. Basically the idea is to take two landrover defenders all the way round the world. We will most likely follow a path similar to that which the long way round team did but change it up when we get to the USA, the big must and the biggest challenge we feel is the road of bones. It's one of my bucket list of roads I want to drive.

As you can gather its not a small adventure, its a huge logistical nightmare, its going to require sponsorship and exposure to make a reality as well as worth doing. We are both at a age where we have little commitments finacially which would make it a perfect time in our life time to do such a thing, as well as providing time as to do a trip of this scale is going to take more than your average 2 week family vacation. Prepping the vehicles is going to be a challenge to as we will need to make sure they will be able to handle what could be a 20 to 30,000 mile trip across some of the harshest terrain nature could throw at us. I have also thought about vehicle support but at this moment in time I think it would be more of a challenge with out but if I can get this of the ground failure won't be a option.

The question is where do you start with a idea like this. How do you turn it from that idea and make it a reality?

My though process is to contact our charity of choice, explain what we want to do. Then start contacting companies and corporations and see if they want in? I am able to initially re route some of my resources from my business and some of the fund to get thinks kickstarted but won't be able to sustain it.

Tom

[Jamie_grieve]

Sounds like a fun thing to do. I feel your enthusiasm and excitement. However, playing a bit of devils advocate here:

My first thoughts would be your motivation. It could sound to the cynical like you're trying to jump on the charity bandwagon to finance your dream trip. Why would the donor community fund someone to drive roads that for you may be a great adventure but for those who live there are simply how they get around, such as going to work or hospital?
Why not use your collective skills and expertise to help a charity directly? The considerable amount of money it would take to buy, kit and support two Defenders, then fuel them and travel round the world would be better spent helping the charities surely? Not to mention the time it would take to do so the charity probably wouldn't receive cleared funds for years after you left. If for example you were to die of a snake bite in Jabrovia and the mission is aborted would the money used to fund the trip not have been completely wasted?

Why even take vehicles? How much use is a Defender trying to follow an Ural or Kamaz on the road of bones to a charity anyway? It's also kinda been done as well. Why not save the cash and use public transport, hitch hiking etc for a low impact mission.

The point I'm trying to make (maybe badly) is that the donor funds required to finance to trip to get more donor funding for the charity would be better spent on the charity in the first place. Something even more silly and cheaper might generate more interest?

[miketomcat]

I agree if you want to do the trip great just do it lot's of help on here. If you want to help a charity great but you pay for your trip and any sponsorship goes straight to the charity if you go to a charity with this attitude you'll probably get further in discussion. Having said that doing something a little more unusual may help. Don't get me wrong I love the idea, wish you all the best and will help where I can.

Mike

[Bushpig110]

Everyone I know who has raised money for charity has invested a lot more of their own time and money than they have raised.

It's all about doing it cause you want to help ,

I do know a couple that have driven across the globe in a defender, they were away 4 years but it took them 7 years to do all the prep work and work the funding out before they left.

It took 2 film stars a year to prep with 20 full time staff and the backing of the TV production company and they still sunk their own money in to make it work.

Go for your Dreams but it will be hard work along the way , Truly worth the heart ache and sweat if you get there

Good Luck

[tacr2man]

Reality , anywhere prettywell that you can think to go has been done plenty of times , there are literally hundreds of people on what were once called expeditions at any given time . The hardest part of most any long trek these days is getting the required visas, and logistics right , as modern vehicle make it all rather easy , (till something goes wrong) . Unless you have some real "hook" eg Kate is bringing here soon to arrive baby on the trip" . you are going to struggle to get any sponsorship, and as mentioned in a previous post many will regard it as just a way to get a world trip on the cheap .

If you want to travel get the money together , sort out all the logistics , and then to salve your eco conscience try and do something for charity . JMHO

[Eightpot]

if you fancy a RTW trip, just save enough cash, ditch the jobs for a year and take off -not sure why you want to take another car and even a support vehicle, but it's not necessary unless a bunch of you are going.

You might find that after spending time in countries affected by poverty, you feel uncomfortable with raising money to be used in a rich country with an excellent and world leading healthcare system. If you really want to focus on doing some good while enjoying your trip, buy a stack of malaria test kits and basic medical supplies and distribute them free to local clinics on your way round. On my last trip I noted that most guys working in garages have no welding visors or eye protection and just squint when doing weld repairs, they can't afford them. On my next trip I'll get a bunch of visor lenses and pop one into small workshops I pass, just a little thing between me and them but might save someone from going blind and a nice excuse to stop and have a chat. Lots of little things like that you can do.

[Tom1809]

Well I was kind of expecting this reaction and was something I considered when I posted here was how people would react etc and The thought process behind the trip was this.

Firstly the idea was never to jump on a charity financed trip of a life time. It was simply to do something different to raise money for charity. As people have already stated things have been done before but its a case of how often and how big of a thing was it, how many people go sky diving or do sponsored runs etc? Granted low impact fundraising is what supports these charritys with finances but the main thing any charity craves is exposure. It's that exposure is what raises the awareness of what said charrity does and in return the support they get.

The thinking behind such a massive trip was its not your average thing to do. How many people wake up one morning and say I'm going to drive through most europe for charity and then carry on round the world to America and through the states and finally back to the uk? Given the right angle and marketed in the right way it will be able to give the exposure charritys crave and also bring the interest required for the donations required for such a trip to be classed as a success, the idea has the potential for it.

As for the vehicles we are not talking about buying brand new defenders or expecting them to be donated. In fact the idea was to use my current vehicle a 90 and our friends in there 110, why take vehicles cause even the urals kamazs struggle in places.its that what would make it a challenge to actually get all the way there .

As I openly admitted in my first post, I wouldn't be able to afford to make this idea a reality and then develop it from there especially from a pr perspective. I'd be able to supply the vehicles, some of the stuff required and majority of the fuel but there's still lots of hidden expenses that would have to worked out. It's not like I'm expecting someone to wave a open cheque book in front and companies to trow goodies at me and say go on see how far you get etc. we are talking about a professionally organised trip with a dedicated purpose.

If any one has any further comments they wish add or have any inclination on the next steps I need take that would be most helpful

Tom

[Jamie_grieve]

On my last trip I noted that most guys working in garages have no welding visors or eye protection and just squint when doing weld repairs, they can't afford them. On my next trip I'll get a bunch of visor lenses and pop one into small workshops I pass, just a little thing between me and them but might save someone from going blind and a nice excuse to stop and have a chat. Lots of little things like that you can do.

That is awesome, most people wouldn't even notice that. You're so right though. I often use those guys you talk about and employ local welders as well. It's hard to get them to use safety equipment of any kind.

You're also right with the lenses too as they often just use a lens or a bit of one in their hand.

I've got a goofy picture of a young lad who gas welded up the filter housing on one of our Kamaz and I gave him my Caterpillar safety glasses after watching him welding squinting through the sparks. A while later he came round to check up to see how we were getting on with the most amazingly decorated pushbike I've ever seen in my life. The glasses just added to his image, I did wonder if he ever used them for gas welding though.

I gave away plastic flutes on my travels, I made them out of plumbing pipe. They went down quite well but kinda had to be a time and place for it. The welding lenses is a great idea!

[Jamie_grieve]

If any one has any further comments they wish add or have any inclination on the next steps I need take that would be most helpful Tom

I remember there was a charity called Rainbow Rovers who used Land Rovers in a fairly high profile manner some years ago. I wonder if getting in touch with them and picking their brains might be a useful thing to do? They are no longer operating I don't think so I doubt you'd be stepping on anybodies toes.

What type of traveling have you done until now?

Would organising a few smaller fund raising events closer to home give you a bit of 'past performance' and credibility before going for the big one?

Team Chaos seem like a good bunch heading in the right direction. Maybe you could get involved there and do a bit and as you help out I'm sure you'd learn a few tricks as well.

Raising awareness and raising money are two different things. Raising money is what makes things happen, raising awareness just reminds people of bad stuff that happens but has no connection at all with opening their wallets.

Don't let us put you off either, don't let us dampen your spirits if you want to crack on but I think you'll find there is a lot of good impartial advice to come out of this forum.

[miketomcat]

I don't think anyone is saying don't do it but as you can see most assume rightly or wrongly you need the charity to help fund it. If you can find a way of making it clear your intentions you may be in with a shot perhaps take a sufferer with you I don't know but you need an angle to "sell" it to them.

Mike