Local petrol heads complete 10,000 mile rally to raise thousands for stroke survivors

Two young rally enthusiasts from Northamptonshire have completed the Mongol Rally, a famous race that covers a third of the globe, raising over £2,000 for the Stroke Association.

Ned Hiley (19) and Archie Forsyth (19) who is from Towcester, crossed the finish line on Sunday 2 September following 56 days on and off the road.

Crossing five mountain ranges and three deserts across Europe and Asia, Ned and Archie aka Team Dusty Martini, completed the race dubbed “the greatest motoring adventure on the planet” in a 1992 Nissan Micra.

Young adventurer Archie decided to take part in the rally after his grandmother, Angela had a series of strokes at the end of 2017. Despite the debilitating effects of her stroke and other complications, Angela has made considerable progress largely due to the treatment she has received at her care home and a programme of physiotherapy.

Archie was shocked by the effects on Angela’s mobility and independence and felt compelled to do something to help,

“It has been very sad to see how someone as self-sufficient as my grandmother can have their independence ripped away. I have seen the harrowing effects stroke can have and will do anything I can to help facilitate better treatment”

“The rally combined our love of cars and travelling but our main aim was always the fundraising. We have chosen two charities for our rally that resonate with us on personal level. The work the Stroke Association does is quite astonishing”

Lucy Burnip, Regional Fundraiser at the Stroke Association said,

“We help tens of thousands of stroke survivors and their families through our range of services and free helpline, but we can only do this through the generosity of people like Archie and Ned. We’re incredibly grateful to them for taking on this amazing challenge and choosing to support the Stroke Association. The money they have raised will go a long way towards helping more stroke survivors like Angela to rebuild their lives.”

A stroke is a brain attack which occurs when blood supply to the brain is cut off, due to a clot or bleeding in the brain. There are more than 100,000 strokes in the UK each year; that is around one stroke every five minutes, while are over 1.2 million people in the UK living with the effects of stroke.