Thursday 3rd April 2025

Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page, this will be continually updated as we we get towards our challenge start date (June 7th 2025) so please, pop back and see what’s new, what we’re doing and what we’ve got up to, the drive isn’t just the challenge, this whole thing is a challenge, certainly an enjoyable one, but a challenge nonetheless, even if you’ve already done your bit for us, popping back now and again will keep you in the loop

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Dean's wife over the last few years has been diagnosed on three different occasions with three different types of breast cancer, his chosen charity "Breast Cancer Now" helps and supports people with breast cancer and their families who also suffer albeit in different ways. His wife has been incredibly strong and has overcome and survived everything that has been thrown at her, firstly with the cancer itself, then with each course of treatment that she has had to face.

Last April John was diagnosed with prostate cancer out of the blue with no symptoms of any sort, so you can imagine the surprise he had when those results came through. Luckily for him, he was still in early stage development of the disease, so one of the options he was given for treatment was to have his prostate removed and this occurred in July 2024. Recovery has been good and swift and the only difference to his life is a 6 monthly blood test.

So between Dean & John, it is their intention to raise funds for these worthwhile charities, who can use the money to directly help others.

Thank you so much for helping us raise some much needed funds to help others, it is not only greatly appreciated by the two of us, but also by those anonymous others who are or will be affected by breast or prostate cancer.

What we are doing.

We have purchased an 18 year old Volvo C30 for £950.00 and intend to visit all 4 extreme compass points of the British mainland within 24 hours if we can, Google says it can be done in 26.5 hours, the record stands at 23:38 but it is their intention to drive from Lizard Point in Cornwall to Ness Point in Lowestoft, to Ardnamurchan Lighthouse on Scotland's west coast, to Dunnet Head on Scotland's north coast, a journey of approximately 1200 miles plus the journey from Hull to Cornwall and from Dunnet Head to get home, so overall around 2100 miles in a car worth less than £1000.00...Gulp!!

And so, Operation Compass was born.

6th April 2025

Our car with a value of less than £1000 just didn’t feel right at the front end … new bearings, brake discs & pads it is then, plus we’re going to be provided with a new cambelt from Martin Bell’s garage in Barrow, a whole set of new tyres courtesy of Tyremen in Hull and our car will also be signwritten to suit our charities & major sponsors.

#ourpitman - William Hood

#jobstokeephimbusy

23rd April 2025

Our Volvo c30 now has 5 new tyres thanks to Tyremen Ltd, new front wheel bearings, brake pads & discs thanks … to ourselves and fitted by Dean & our chief pitman William. New cambelt, water pump & pressure vessel thanks to Martin Bell Motor Engineers Ltd. Various bits and bobs inside the cab for music & phone capabilities and a few shiny bits of bling.

Our car has had its signwriting done and stands out well, I won’t say it’s like a new car but it’s certainly a better car than the one we started with and we’re now confident that we’ll make the overall 2150 miles journey.

Fundraising is going well, and we’re overwhelmed by the support and the enthusiasm for this by everyone we’ve talked to and emailed and we’d like to say thank you to you all.

As the date starts to get nearer and as the starting line is now hoving into view, we’d love for you to support us and our charities by picking one or perhaps the both of our charities to give to if you can.

Thank you for, and anticipation of your support.

Dean & John

4th May 2025

A couple of weeks ago we took the car out for a speed test drive down the M180 & back, as expected she passed the test with flying colours.

This morning Dean & I took our 18 year old C30 for a hill climb exercise from Barton over to Staxton Hill near Scarborough, again she passed this tougher test with flying colours, firstly downhill where the brakes were tested and not found wanting (there was a run off track there if problems were encountered) and then returning up hill, following a McDonalds breakfast break, she pulled like an express train, we had to drop to 3rd gear but as soon as we did she started to accelerate uphill again, pretty good going for a car of her age, mileage and size, we got home suitably impressed, realising that the weakest links on this driving challenge in 5 weeks time won’t be the car 👀

5th June 2025

So tomorrow 6.30am the journey to the start line at Lizard Point, Cornwall begins.

Thank you to all you lovely people out there who have dipped in to their pockets, purses and bank accounts, even though finances are being squeezed relentlessly of late, it means a lot to me and Dean to have your support but I’m sure it’ll mean a lot more to those who can benefit from your gifts. It just goes to show how great people still are when it comes to helping out others who can’t help themselves, so again, from us both, thank you..

Of course there will be posts to let you know how we’re progressing, of course there will still be requests for that help for others until we have completed our trip. We have raised over £9200 to date which is phenomenal when you consider that our starting target was just £500 which became £5000 as the money came in … so one last push for us to reach the £10k mark would just be the icing on this challenge…. Please 💙 John & Dean

6th June 2025

6:33am … Aaaaand we’re off to the Lizard Point start line. Ten weeks ago when this first got talked about, June 6th seemed like an age away, but in reality it’s come on like an express train and today, we head south.

Today’s journey was a long one as we had to call in on four occasions at clients on the way down for photo ops & car stickers as well as drive the 426 miles to our B&B in Heston near Lizard Point, and we didn’t reach here until just after 6pm having set off from home this morning exactly 12 hours earlier, but if companies are willing to support our project then a photo op or a few car stickers is a small price to pay.

Tomorrow will be a quiet day just mooching about before setting off from Lizard Point on our way to Ness Point at Lowestoft in the first instance at 8pm for an overnight drive.

At the time of writing this we are just short of having raised £10,000 on Just Giving but we do have some cash donations that will take us over that figure, and to think, 10 weeks ago our initial target was just £500 before we decided to extend it to £5000….just WOW!!