More than 20 teams of local businesses participating in the Bangers and Cash art roadshow banger rally through Europe for Sheffield youth homeless charity Roundabout have made it all the way to Monte Carlo.
Even a Reliant Robin, driven by global estate agents Fine & Country, made the journey of over 1,200 miles, despite their engine almost falling out after ascending the St Gotthard’s Pass Alpine mountain road in Switzerland.
Teams left Sheffield on Friday 21 September in cars decorated by local artists, visiting Brussels, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, Switzerland and Italy, before driving over the finish line in Monte Carlo’s famous Casino Square on Monday 24, where Roundabout staff waved them in with a chequered flag.
The intrepid adventurers were tasked with a variety of challenges to earn points throughout the journey, such as taking photos at famous landmarks and making a splash in an ice cold mountain lake.
Chesterfield’s SDE Group took home the winners’ trophy for the most points achieved at a post-rally celebration in the neighbouring city of Nice, where participants were also awarded medals and prizes for best fancy dress and top fundraiser, the latter going to Henry Boot Construction who raised almost £10,000.
David Woodhouse, strategic business manager for Henry Boot, said: “We’re a Sheffield company and we do quite a bit of work in the city. Homelessness comes across our portfolio a quite a bit, particularly with charities, so Roundabout is a great one to support.
“We employ a number of local companies who have supported us on this project as well,including Brantingham Homes, Whittam Cox, HE Barnes and LX Engineering, who all helped us to achieve the most sponsorship money.
“The rally was a challenge and my colleague Richard Grafton and I found it exhausting, but everyone we met from the other teams and businesses made it a really good laugh and we all got there together, we really enjoyed it.”
Clare Collingworth, fundraising and communications manager at Roundabout, said: “This project has taken almost two years to come to fruition and to see all our teams having so much fun while raising over £60,000 for Roundabout is incredible.
“I was part of the support team that went on the rally, which included a mechanic – thankfully he didn’t have any major issues to fix but there were a few nerve-wracking moments, such as when BBC Radio Sheffield’s boot wouldn’t open and all their broadcasting equipment was stuck inside!
“We’ve had so much support from local businesses and Sheffield City Council and we want to thank everyone who has enabled us to raise this money, which will help to extend our prevention work across the Sheffield City Region to reduce the number of young people declaring themselves homeless.”
Roundabout’s ground-breaking prevention project delivers highly effective mediation and drop-in advice services, as well as peer education about homelessness in schools, delivered by trained volunteers who have experienced homelessness themselves.
Other teams participating in the rally included Plusnet, BBC Radio Sheffield, Hamilton Plant, Whitehornes Estate Agents, DLA Piper, Banks Pottery, Horbury Group, Goo Design and Evolution Power Tools.
The decorated car bonnets are being returned to Sheffield to be auctioned during a dinner event at the Mercure Hotel on Saturday 20 October. Tickets for the auction are now on sale and can be purchased by emailing fundraising@roundaboutltd.org or by calling 0114 253 6753.
Roundabout has been supporting vulnerable young people in Sheffield for 40 years by providing shelter, support and life skills. Through a variety of services, the charity aims to support and empower young people who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, to learn the necessary skills they need to become independent.