Rallying Support For Mongolia

Press release published on 23 March 2006 by Scarborough Building Society

Two intrepid adventurers, Shaun Bayes and Stephen Day, are planning a road trip to Mongolia for charity, setting off this summer.

All they need now is a bit of support to help them on their way.

Shaun, a Customer Advisor at Scarborough Building Society, has already appealed to his employers for a donation to take the pair closer to their fundraising target of £3,500. The Society obliged with a cheque for £500 which has set the ball rolling, but the pair still need more help to reach their goal.

Shaun and Stephen, both 23, decided to take part in this year’s Mongol Rally, driving across approximately one quarter of the world, or 10,000 miles, in four weeks – from London to the Mongolian capital of Ulaan Baatar. There are around 100 cars taking part, travelling through eight checkpoints along the way – and each team is responsible for navigating its own way across this inauspicious terrain which covers everything from mountains to deserts and barren plains.

And the boys are relishing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something truly extraordinary. Shaun said: “This was recommended to me as a great experience and definitely a way to test my independence and initiative over the four weeks.

“The money raised will be going to two different charities – Send a Cow to Africa and the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation, which looks after children in Mongolia and other countries around the world. It’s a chance to help people who are less fortunate than us.

“I can’t wait to wake up every morning and see something completely new from the back of my car, although finding our way across a quarter of the world is a bit daunting!”

Preparation has begun with the setting up of a website detailing the boys progress so far, www.wemustbemad.me.uk – where contact details for donations can be found – and buying the car for the rally.

The car the boys will be travelling in is a 1985 Suzuki SJ410 – which has under a 1 litre engine, as specified in the rally rules. It is a 4x4 vehicle, essential for the rough terrain at the end of the rally.

However, the car desperately needs some repair and maintenance before the trip begins. Although Stephen and Shaun will be travelling in convoy with the other Scarborough team – the Pink Pandas – who have a lot of mechanical expertise, although they themselves have little experience as mechanics. They are appealing to local garages to help them out with a crash course before the rally begins.

“It would be great if a local garage would give us a hand doing up the car before we go – it needs a bit of work before it will be ready. I am also really keen to learn a bit more about cars, so would love to be around while the car is being done up – just to get a handle on the basics,” said Shaun.

“We really want to make this a success, so any help we can get would be really appreciated. Ideally we would love to park the car on someone’s forecourt to raise awareness of our charity appeal – it will do far more good there than being parked on my drive at home.”

Lastly, Stephen and Shaun do not have a team name, something which is quite important for the actual event. They would like to appeal to the public in Scarborough to give them suggestions – either by writing into the local paper or radio stations or by visiting www.wemustbemad.me.uk and emailing them personally from the site.

Shaun ended with: “We hope that people will get behind us on this venture. At the end of the day, it’s all about how much we can raise for charity.”

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