Whittington’s St Giles Hospice has been boosted by a team of steam-powered fundraisers.
A group of friends drove a 1930 Foster Wellington tractor from Staffordshire to Surrey via the centre of London.
The 180-mile journey took 18 hours and raised £1,450.
The vehicle’s owner Chris Arrowsmith, 25 , said: “This is the longest and most ambitious journey I have ever undertaken under steam but it has been a fantastic experience with the added bonus of raising much needed funds for a local charitable cause.”
The steam tractor team was made up of Chris’ colleague at Rugeley Power Station’s maintenance department, Chris Barkas and fellow steam vehicle owner Michael Fuller
They covered the 180 miles at an average of 10mph, consuming a ton of coal and 5,000 litres of water.
Other enthusiasts joined them along the way as they
Chris Barkas added: “To date, donations have way exceeded our target of £200, so to be part of this awesome day amongst the steaming community and to have met so many friendly, helpful people has been mind-blowing.”
Lyn Shiel, community fundraiser for St Giles Hospice, admitted it wasn’t the usual fundraising event.
She said: “We’re very grateful to Chris and his team for taking on this challenge in support of St Giles Hospice.
“It’s always great when people think up new and exciting ways of raising money – and driving a steam powered tractor across the country and through London during rush hour is surely one of the most original!”
