Overland is pleased to support the Thankful Villages Run which begins on Saturday the 27th July and we’ll be following all 9 days of the charity event on a Triumph Explorer.
Raising money for the Royal British Legion, Medwyn Parry and Dougie Bancroft will be riding 2,500 miles in the 9 days, visiting each of the 51 Thankful Villages in Great Britain, so called, because they have no traditional War Memorial. All of the young men who left these villages to fight in WW1, made it home alive, although many were scarred emotionally and physically by the experience.
The aim is to raise £51,000 on the eve of what will be the centenary of the beginning of the Great War, and we are pleased to report that Triumph Motorcycles are providing the machines and much of the support for the event. Dougie and Medwyn will be using Triumph’s latest super-tourer the Trophy and Overland’s editor Paddy will be following on a 1200 Explorer, their flagship adventure model. Both of the Trophies are bedecked in a bespoke poppy field design, acting as a visual link to the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
Starting in Mid Wales, the run will visit every village where they will present the residents, who include descendents of those who survived the War, with a commemorative slate plaque and certificate as remembrance of their contribution to the War that many hoped would end all wars.
Guy Masters, General Manager of Triumph UK said: “We are proud to be supporting Dougie and Medwyn with their unique project. The Thankful Villages story is one that not many people are aware of and hopefully this project will do a great deal to help rectify this.
“We owe a huge debt of gratitude not only to those who took part in the First World War, but also those who have made similar sacrifices in subsequent conflicts. We wish Dougie and Medwyn all the best in their goal of raising the £51,000.
Paddy Tyson from Overland Magazine said “We are pleased to be supporting this event as we approach the 100 year anniversary of the start of what was a terrible act of violence and human misery. Servicemen and women are often forgotten when a conflict has left headlines, but the scars of war never diminish and the Royal British Legion does a sterling job with the support it offers.”
The journey starts at 8am on Saturday 27th July at Llanfihangel y Creuddyn near Aberystwyth and finishes at the same point at 7pm on Sunday 4th August. Riders on any make of bike are warmly invited to join any part of the trip, though they are encouraged to make a minimum donation of £5 per day. The whole route and schedule can be found here and you can donate here Thankfulvillagesrun.com
