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On the 11 September Michael Mart and his wife Margaret will embark on an epic journey going from Long Bennington to John o Groats , John o Groats to Lands End and Lands End back to Long Bennington in their Model A Ford made in 1930 (called Phoebe). The total journey will take approximately16 days

Michael is raising money for the " Peter le Merchant trust "

 The charity organises day trips and four-night holidays on the local canals and the Rivers Soar and Trent for disability and care groups from the Midlands and beyond. It also enables families with seriously disabled children to enjoy week-long self-drive trips, helping them to take an interesting and unusual holiday away together. Each year over 4,000 people use the Trust’s boats.

The Trust relies upon donations to carry out its work and uses a team of over sixty volunteers to skipper and crew its boats.

If you are able, please help with a donation large or small. The whole journey is over 1700 miles.....in a car made in 1930!

– Phoebe is, after all, 82 yrs old, the very first Model Ford A She was never designed to go over 1800 miles and with an average speed of 30mph it will be a real challenge.

I am doing this for the Peter Le Marchant Trust www.peterlemarchanttrust.co.uk) which puts a smile on the face of countless disabled and seriously ill children and adults though their canal trips. I am doing it for the child who spoke for the first time for several years; the stroke victim who spoke, again for the first time for ages; these are the stories of smiles that make this such a worthwhile charity to support.

All donations are invaluable, as they enable the work of the charity to continue - there are  some whose illness is so critically life-limiting, that their trip, which gives them a one-off joyful experience, may never be repeated.

Please help give as generously as you can and bring a new smile to the face of some-one unable to enjoy so many things that we take for granted.

Just  £23 enables a day trip for one disabled or seriously ill person the chance to smile and a more hopeful future. 

 A donation of £100 could give someone a four day holiday of a lifetime on Serenade

£200 will pay all the diesel for a week: enabling 10 people to have a holiday on Serenade, over 100 people their joyful day on Symphony, and one family living with disability to enjoy a week long adventure together on Melody

It will be worth all the breakdowns and long, cold and wet days (Phoebe has no heating, and the coupe hood is very definitely hand operated; but rarely are we caught exceeding the speed limit) if we know we are giving many days of joy through your help.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.