I’m very proud and delighted to report that Charley Bickers, step-grandson of  Sir Douglas Bader, will be undertaking an exciting and ambitious fund-raising adventure to raise funds for the Douglas Bader Foundation.

On the 22nd May, Charley and his girlfriend, Laura, will set off to Vietnam and follow in the footsteps of Jeremy Clarkson and the Top Gear Team by riding the length of the country from Hanoi to Saigon.

Like the Top Gear team, the intrepid pair will do the journey on scooters but in the opposite direction and without the assistance of a camera team!

We wish them both the best of luck and have no doubt that Charley’s grandfather would be justifiably proud, probably very envious and with them every inch of the way.

Sir Douglas Bader with his grandson, Charley Bickers

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CHARLEY WRITES:

This is a very important year for me and my family.  Douglas would have been 100 this year and it is also the 25th anniversary for the fantastic charity ‘The Douglas Bader Foundation’ that was set up in honour of his name.  The charity was created by my family soon after Douglas’s death with the intention of continuing the great work of inspiring and helping fellow amputees.

I am proud to be able to say that Douglas was my Grandfather and also incredibly proud of what the Douglas Bader Foundation has been able to achieve in the past 25 years.

This May I will be following in the footsteps of Jeremy Clarkson as I ride the length of Vietnam with the only difference being that I won’t cheat!  The whole journey will take me 10 days and on the way I will be visiting a local hospital to speak with amputees to hopefully pass on some of the hope and comfort that Douglas’s story manages to offer.

It is a small, family run charity and things are extremely tough, especially given the current economic climate and the dominance of well known charities such as Help for Heroes.

I would really appreciate any amount that you could give, however small, and can assure you that it will go to a great cause.

Should you wish to make a donation then please just follow the link below.

Thank you

Charley

www.justgiving.com/charleyandlaura

“Have a go at everything, never let them persuade you that things are too difficult or impossible.”  Douglas Bader

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You can check out the Top Gear trip for an idea of the challenge that Charley and Laura  have set themselves by clicking on these links:

Top Gear – Vietnam Special Part 1

Top Gear – Vietnam Special Part 2

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The Douglas Bader Foundation relies almost entirely on donations and fund-raising to enable it to carry on Sir Douglas Bader’s invaluable work on behalf of amputees and other disabled. With new initiatives and events both launched and in the pipeline to coincide with this important Centenary Year, you can be sure that any donations will be greatly appreciated and put to very good use.

PLEASE SUPPORT CHARLEY AND LAURA’S EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF A VERY WORTHY CAUSE

www.justgiving.com/charleyandlaura

If this inspires you to organise your own fund-raising event and you’d like any advice, support or help, please contact Keith Delderfield on: 07831 596015 or by email: douglasbaderfdn@btinternet.com

…is a very important year for the Douglas Bader Foundation. We have several exciting developments planned to mark this auspicious year. One is our first venture into licensing: we have agreements with collectible company 288 Group under their Westminster Press and Casco divisions, agreements with Bradford Exchange and with former Military Gallery owner, Pat Barnard.

We are delighted to have these opportunities to increase our fund-raising potential thereby enabling us to benefit more amputees and other disabled through our various initiatives and are grateful for the participation of the companies and individuals involved.

Please click on the link to see the Press Release

Grateful thanks to Steve McNeice for his design skills and his time.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8157347.stm

(Thanks to Steve McNeice for sending this link)