Whitworth councillor's 3,500 mile trip on a scooter

3:31pm Friday 16th May 2008

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A COUNCILLOR is travelling round the coastline of Britain to raise cash for charity - on a scooter.

Coun Alan Neal is aiming to raise £100,000 for two causes close to his heart, with Peter and Michael Parsons of Whitworth Warriors Motorcycle Club.

The team will set off on September 6, hoping to cover 3,750 miles in a week, with a typical day involving 17 hours of riding.

David Dearden, MD of Robinsons of Rochdale, will sponsor the 125CC scooter and an environmental unit, donated from Casey's in Bury, will lead it and provide somewhere to eat, sleep and wash.

Coun Neal, who represents Whitworth, said: "We are raising money for Cancer UK and Leukaemia Research and we're going to split the money we raise equally between them.

"I'm doing the ride because my mother Beryl Neal and my grandmother, Lily Williams, both died from breast cancer and my sister-in-law, Gloria White, and the former deputy mayor, Peter Gill, both from bowel cancer."

The ride will start at Blackpool and head northbound to John O'Groats, down the East Coast to Dover, along the South Coast to Lands End, then the leg home and if they get time, a hop over to the Isle of Anglesy.

In front of Alan, will be a van driven by Tony Mannion and relief driver, Whitworth town coun David Bradbury, who came up with the idea.

Coun Neal said: "I wanted to travel on a scooter because it was the smallest machine I could find and the most cost-effective"

To sponsor the ride donate to this account: sort code: 01-07-29, account number: 50064223