‘Spenni Boys’ Charity Motor Cycle Endurance Ride in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and The Stroke Association.

We are Andrew, Charles, Jason and Jonny from Spennithorne in Wensleydale who were in a group of six friends in primary school and are still close friends today.

Sadly, one of our group, Phil, was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in February 2018 and passed away 9 weeks later aged 46 leaving a young widow and a 5 year old son. Macmillan Cancer Support were invaluable to Phil and his wife during this time, visiting at short notice, offering both practical advice and emotional support during those distressing weeks.

As if that wasn’t traumatic enough, the same year Phil’s younger brother Glynn, the sixth member of our group, had a major life changing stroke in his early 40s, with his wife and teenage daughters now being his carers.

We had a great childhood growing up together in Spennithorne and whilst we all went off and did different things, we all stayed local, we kept that bond of being ‘Spenni Kids’ and still looked out for each other.

This year would have been Phil’s 50th birthday, a milestone he is sadly not here to celebrate. In order to acknowledge this and to honour both Phil and Glynn, we wanted to do something to raise as much money as we can for Macmillan Cancer Support and The Stroke Association. We wanted to do something as a group to really challenge ourselves and we felt it would mean a lot to us to do it in what should have been Phil’s 50th year. All money raised for Macmillan will be restricted to being spent on services Macmillan provide in North Yorkshire

We have decided to do something a little left field and set a challenge of each buying a motorcycle for under £500 and attempting to complete an endurance ride from Spennithorne around the coastal route of Scotland and back. A challenging journey of over 1,600 miles over 5 days between 7th – 12th July 2022.

If this endurance ride can put money into these vital charities to help others in the future we will feel that we’ve done Phil and Glynn Jackson proud.

We are grateful to you for taking the time to read this and for any support you feel able to give.

“The one thing you could guarantee with both Phil and Glynn whether you had seen them yesterday or not for a year, it still felt like you were those youths just sat talking rubbish on a wall in Spenni” Jason

Being Phil’s 50th year, to do something in his memory, to tip him a wink and let him, and his family know he isn’t forgotten by those who grew up with him in Spennithorne” Jonny

“Glynn is the first person who I ever rode motorcycles with either mucking about on trail bikes and terrorising Wenselydale on our Yamaha TZR 125s” Marra

“Phil had a huge influence on us and our taste in music and travelling the length and breadth of the country with him supporting Darlington Football Club” Marra

We all had a great childhood in Spennithorne, we all played together as youngsters and whilst we all went off and did different things and lived in different places, we still had that bond of being Spenni Kids and still looked out for each other” Charlie

“ I shared a great passion for Rallying with Glynn leading to us both navigating on various stage rallies for local Drivers in the North East , this and spectating on many events were some great times at all hrs and in all weather” Jason

Thank you for your time and support