Hartlepool brothers get ready for 700-mile Scottish car rally in £500 banger for children with cancer

Siblings Callum Macklam, Daniel Butler and David Butler are taking part in the TBR 700 Two Ball Banger Rally in April in a car worth less than £600.

The event is a four day 700 mile rally around Scotland.

In the process the lads hope to raise a good chunk of cash for the charity Children's Cancer North.

Callum, 28, said: “We wanted to do something for charity and my mother has been through cancer and we know other adults and children as well, so it is quite close to home for us.

"There are loads of charities for adults with cancer but the ones who are the most vulnerable are children.

"We all agreed we would do it for Children's Cancer North.”

Callum toyed with the idea of doing a skydive but hit upon the banger rally as it was something he had always wanted to do.

It also offers great views of Scotland including the location that provided a back drop for the James Bond film Skyfall.

Callum, Daniel, 32, and David, 37, clubbed together to buy a 2009 Jeep Patriot for just £550.

The rally starts in Perth and finishes at Pitlochry.

Callum joked: "Doing 700 miles in a £567 car it’s a question of whether it’s going to make it to the end!”

He praised the support of mechanic Richie Beard of car repair and maintenance business BM-Zone in Hartlepool who has serviced and worked on the vehicle ready for the challenge.

They are one of a number of town businesses that have paid £100 in sponsorship to have their company sticker on the Jeep.

"At the moment we have raised about £1,000 for the charity,” said Callum.

Children’s Cancer North was formed in 2021 when North of England Children’s Cancer Research and Children’s Cancer Fund joined together.

It aims to improve the quality of life of the 100 children from across the region who are newly diagnosed with cancer every year and go to the Great North Children's Hospital in Newcastle for treatment.

People can follow the lads’ progress and donate at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dcd-rally.

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