By alex ali aali@heraldexpress.co.uk

A DISABLED adventurer is aiming to travel 12,000 miles across Africa in a specially adapted Land Rover.

Richard Harris, 43, and his wife, Rachel, 41, are setting off on the epic journey to give hope to others who have suffered life-changing injuries.

On November 30, 1986, Richard broke his neck playing in a friendly rugby game.

Severe spinal injuries have left him reliant on mobility aids.

He had previously played for Torquay Athletic Rugby Football Club 3rd XV, but on the fateful day he was playing in a Sunday friendly for a South Devon Tech side against Torbay Police.

There was no one else involved when he landed on the top of his head and it pushed forward as he fell ‘clumsily’ on the ball.

Since the accident Richard has qualified as an occupational therapist and now works for Torbay Care Trust.

However, he was so naive about neck injuries at the time of his accident that, when a paramedic asked if he was okay, he nodded his head.

“It was the last thing they wanted me to do,” said Richard, sitting on the patio of his Middle Warberry Road home.

He clasps his beard, and adjusts his legs as he sits talking to me in a custom-built all terrain wheelchair that is fitted with large tyres that wouldn’t be amiss on a downhill mountain bike.

His wife Rachel, who also works for the care trust, watches over us as we talk, offering tea and glasses of ice cold water and giving fresh perspectives on the reasons for the trip they hope to start in May 2011.

The trip has already required a £100,000 investment, and a loan has been taken out against their house to finance it — £80,000 has been spent commissioning a special Land Rover conversion.

The ‘Azalai’ camper is custom built in Kingsteignton by locally based OEC Ltd.

The ‘Indlovu Drive’ will ship out to Zululand in May 2011 and Richard and Rachel will be taking a career break for the estimated journey time.

The Land Rover will have a hydraulic back step to help Richard get in and out, hand-controls, and an automatic gear box custom-fitted so he can drive too.

“Because of the innovative Azalai all of the excuses for not doing the trip have gone and the only thing stopping you is you, and you realise that if you don’t do it now the you have been lying to yourself, and either you do it or you don’t,” explains Richard.

They couple already have a distinctive black VW Transporter complete with red A-Team-style stripe which can be spotted around Torquay. But it may need to be sold to help fund the expedition.

He is very frank that advances in ‘personal hygiene’ have also helped allow him to undertake this daunting challenge.

Richards says: “The spinal cord injured person’s world revolves around toileting, it is a protracted process and you need to be able to manage it wherever you are, even if that’s the middle of the Sudan.”

Rachel already knew Richard before his accident. She played hockey and they mixed in the same post-match social circles, 17 years on they are planning their journey through 10 African countries that will see them starting in South Africa at the Hluhluwe Umflozi National Park, north of Durban.

They are aiming to raise £3,000 for Bristol based charity Motivation, who are marking their 20th anniversary with their ‘Wheels Out of Poverty’ campaign.

The couple will also travel through Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.

Richard, who has been visiting since 1996, says: “Every time you go back you see changes and improvements but you also see the challenges. You see something that has developed and that adds to the experience of going there. That is just South Africa, and there is a much bigger continent there.”

“Because you are living with the injury, you have to accommodate it and when you are getting rehab, you always have the next little challenge; whether that is being able to sit up, loosen the collar or pick up a cup of tea.

“There is always a reward with each stage, and when you reach the point that it is real, you are back home dealing with it,” says Richard. “Family and those that care for you often don’t have the same, intimate comfort that those trivial personal battles and victories give to one.”

He is full of praise for the rugby ‘fraternity’ that raised funds to help his parents adapt the house and for treating him the same despite his injury.

“It was exceptional because I myself never had to settle for being excluded and I think that is because my friends were and are naturally inclusive,” said Richard.

“We want to prove to everyone that disability should in itself be no reason to not achieve your dreams and ambitions,” says Richard as he talks about the journey that is less than a year away.

For more information on Richard and Rachel’s trip and to donate visit their JustGiving page on www.harris.gb.net.

Tags: biography, Press, Sponsorship

Thanks to……

HI. WE’RE PEDRO AND VERA AND WE’RE LAND ROVER ADDICTS…

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Indlovu Drive 2011 Trans-Africa Expedition

Article by World of Land Rover, words and photos from harris.gb.net

DISABLED VENTURER, RICHARD HARRIS, HAS USED A WHEELCHAIR AND ELBOW CRUTCHES TO GET AROUND FOLLOWING A RUGBY ACCIDENT IN 1986. TOGETHER WITH HIS WIFE RACHEL, HE IS PLANNING TO UNDERTAKE A MAMMOTH OVERLAND DRIVE, FROM ZULULAND IN SOUTH AFRICA, ALL THE WAY BACK TO BRITAIN.

This is the kind of article I really enjoy. When you see on TV our on a magazine an article about someone that’s going to do something great for charity it almost feel like they live in another World, without the hardships and worries of “normal people”. Of course they have to find money for the trip as well as raising the funds for the charities they chose to support, but it almost seams effortless…

I read on in their blog, where Richard writes about their plans and the Defender preparation but also about bank loans and how they are going to pay for it all. These are normal people, like you and me, with jobs and mortgages and bills like the ones we pay. The difference is we’re sitting down reading about it on our computers but they are actually doing something worth mentioning.

What’s the story?

Richard has been living with the effects of a spinal cord injury since, as a rather clumsy 19 year-old rugby player; he single-handedly managed to break his neck. Since then he has trained and practised as an Occupational Therapist and through his love of rugby, wildlife and photography, has been drawn to visit South Africa many times. Luckily these are passions that Rachel shares too. The couple have self-driven many miles of photographic safari in that beautiful country, but are now desperate to explore more of the continent.

Richard explains, “We first visited South Africa in ’96 on a rugby tour. It was supposed to be ‘the’ trip of a lifetime – but we found, as have many others, that Africa grabs you – it gets under your skin – and so we have been back many times since. The challenges that people face given the fates of history and politics are incredible and inspiring. Every time we go back it’s different. You cannot fail to be moved by peoples’ spirit and resilience.”

Richard, Rachel and the Azalai Defender

So why the long trek?

“On our second visit, I distinctly remember seeing a French badged Land Rover Discovery in Hluhluwe game reserve. I thought ‘Wow, it’s possible to drive here from Europe!’ – Now that really is special. We looked into it but at the time there wasn’t a vehicle that could do the trip and let me stay independent in my self-care regimen. Things have moved on, and with buying and adapting the Azalai, we are now in touching distance of realising a very special ambition.

Both cite the personal development that comes from taking on such a venture. “It’s like doing another degree” Richard says, “The planning, research and reading is eating up the hours. It’s great fun though and it’s already a fulfilling experience before we’ve even driven a mile.” Rachel has her work cut out too, “I have somelessons in vehicle mechanics and maintenance booked, it’s essential that we can at least service the Land Rover as we go. This is certainly a new area for me but I am relishing the challenge and the experience.”

“The other children include me now. I can easily visit my friends and get to school. My wheelchair can cope with the rough ground here. It's good to have a chair that fits me, an adult's wheelchair would be too difficult to push.”

Land mines are a constant threat to children

Motivation – The charity
The Harris’ are proudly supporting the Bristol based charity ‘Motivation’. Their aim is to raise the profile of disabled people throughout the world and they have several projects in the countries to be traversed. Motivation’s work is categorised by three key issues: mobility, empowerment and inclusion. Their activities include the design and provision of low-cost appropriate wheelchairs, vocational training programmes to help disabled people access and lobby for their rights in society, and they work with other organisations to include disabled people into their work and programmes. By focusing in these areas they aim to positively impact on the physical, social and economic situation of people with mobility disabilities.

There is a clear synergy given Richard’s history and his career in Occupational Therapy. “I am really thrilled that Motivation are letting us support them and their work. Most people will be shocked to know that the U.N. Statistical Office estimates there are 20 million people in the world who need a wheelchair but don’t have one – so anything to help is welcome.”

 

The Azalai Camper – Land Rover 130 Conversion

The Azalai promises accessible living and sleeping space, masses of equipment storage, catering facilities suitable for long hauls and crucially, to meet Richard’s care needs, even an onboard toilet & shower. This is a truly special vehicle that makes the adventure a reality for Richard and Rachel. All they need now is just a little help and support, some more hard work and the best of luck ….

A ‘grafted living pod’ fitted by OEC Ltd, utilizes the very latest, lightweight but strong, insulating, vacuum moulded composite materials. Extra fuel and water tanks are under the floor, storage is all below window height. This preserves stability and agility. “We’ve invested more than our life savings to cover the £70k gross cost” confesses Richard, “But there really is no other vehicle as suitable or as adaptable for this trip.” (Because of his disability Richard had to spend an extra £10k fitting an Ashcroft automatic gearbox, hand-controls, and a lift to access the pod.) But what about eight months sharing a 2.5×1.8m living space come rain or shine? Over to Rachel, “Based upon our photo-safari experience to date, it turns out we do remain compatible.” A good job too!

Know more about the Richard and Rachel’s adventure, the Azalai camper and Motivation’s work and how you can help.

Tags: adaptation, Africa, Azalai, biography, Build, Charity, disability, Ethics, finance, funding, money, motivation, Overland, philosophy, Press, Resources, Sponsorship, wheelchair, www.motivation.org.uk

Rachel and Richard contrive a pose with the Pod, note the lack of windows!

This week’s visit to OEC was definitely a benchmark of sorts – 30th July 2010 was the first day that the Azalai pod was mated with the base vehicle. Certainly this was good to see, as it must mean we are getting near that elusive and tantalising completion date – but tempered in that the next step is to take it off again! The pod is offered up to mark the remaining cuts that need to be made e.g. through to the cab, the second fuel filler etc. The lifting jig utilises the window and roof openings – so the windows have been removed until the pod finds its permanent home on the chassis. The water tank had also been removed for this exercise (to avoid damage and promote access to help with the marking-up). There is minimal finishing trim in place (obviously) and so it certainly could be said that ‘Paula’ looked a little bit rough around the edges. However, once these final cuts are done, it clearly can’t be too much more time and work to add or reapply the few remaining disenfranchised parts.

Poly-bag in place, rear suspension

This would then allow efforts to switch to designing, sourcing and fitting the tail-lift. The uprated suspension is going in, with the rear offside at least sporting the uprated shock, spring and poly-air bag – but the other wheels’ adornments are work in progress, as is the air system for the bags – again though, these can’t be too far off completion.

The rear end - quite a drop for the tbd lift to cover, especially on raised suspension

In the cab the Exmoor Elites are in, and the post testing consensus is very comfy indeed. The extended runners demonstrably give much more leg room, which will help with the  final set-up of the hand-controls. We agreed that a smaller steering wheel will help here too and we will be fitting one from  QT in black.

The naked cubby box was in for our approval, and although unorthodox, it will be substantial, practical and in keeping with the decor when powder coated and upholstered.

Sharon, Penny and Rachel - the Tombola Queens!

The weekend of firsts continued on Saturday, as we had our first fundraising and awareness event courtesy of the absolutely rammed Marldon Apple Pie Fair. We had a tombola stand and it was a great platform to raise awareness of the trip and Motivation. As a consequence we have now managed to breach the £400 mark, raised to date for Motivation. A special mention to Sharon Rylance and Penny Jones for helping out all day – as well as Rachel. Thanks must also go to Mandy Lewis (the Avon Queen), Jane Nicholls, Dee Burton, Tricia Smith, Dan Tisdall and Shaz for donating many of the fabulous prizes. I’m not really sure I’m cut out for the circus life, whereas I’m comfortable talking to people in depth about the project and answering their questions (in fact I quite enjoy it) – I’m not so good at collecting their donations. I’ve been musing about this since. I wonder (albeit at a psycho-dynamic level) if it’s a reaction to having to re-establish my independence post accident, and now finding myself (well ourselves strictly speaking) asking others for help. It may just be another skill to (re)learn as part of the project. Certainly people were on the whole genuinely interested and happy to contribute. (The trekinetic wheelchair generating a fair bit of interest too.) As the seasoned tombola experts say, “Every One’s a Winner!”

Anyway, we have the next one in our sights, a Fish Cookery Demonstration and Lunch at the Bickley Mill with Nigel Ward. Tickets will be just £22.50 and the date is Wednesday 24th November lunchtime (12:30 start). Please do contact us for more details. We’d love to see you there and think it will be great fun.

Nigel was one of the founders of Channel Fisheries 1981. Based in Brixham the company grew its reputation by sourcing the majority of their fresh fish from the early morning market on the quayside. Most of the produce is purchased from small inshore day fishing boats affording absolute control over quality and traceablity. Channel Fisheries committment to sourcing and delivering the finest quality fresh fish culminated in association with the Royal Household and a reputation as one of Britains leading suppliers of fresh fish and seafood. So this really will be a special and unique event. Nigel is a very entertaining speaker and is an expert in the field.

Rachel looks like I felt!

So whereas things do seem to be progressing in the right direction, the nagging doubt about how much more there is to do (build/train/save/fundraise) before May 2011 inevitably remains. We continue to miss proving and training events through what’s left of the summer, and the time and availability to do this in the winter/spring recedes proportionately. We must be at least a month away from completion – with the lift remaining an unknown, although Paul at OEC feels this can now be progressed with some gusto. Fingers crossed, as only after spending some shake-down time with the vehicle can we really reach a decision about committing to 2011 or deferring to 2012. At the moment it must be 55:45.

Tags: adaptation, Azalai, biography, Build, Charity, Equipment, Gear, money, motivation, OEC, Specification, Vehicle, wheelchair, www.motivation.org.uk

It’s been a pretty busy couple of weeks as we have been trying to pull a few fundraising and awareness events together. We’ve been interviewed by the local paper (the Herald Express), and hopefully there’ll be a nice, informative piece in next Tuesday’s edition. Certainly (the reporter) Alex’s relaxed approach made for a long and wide ranging interview. It stretched from my accident (let’s get back to the Eighties) to date, with lots of personal detail, thoughts and meditations about what the project currently means to us. I’m not at all sure what will make the final copy, but I’m pretty confident it will be a good enough read (possibly even at my own expense!). In some ways the process was cathartic; as I’ve blogged before much of the plan makes no rational sense, so a chance like this, to reflect on the rhyme and reason, is hopefully as useful to us, as it might be interesting to others. (BTW I haven’t heard anything go out from the Radio Devon interview – this is definitely not a game for those with a fragile ego!)

We’ve also been investigating the best ways to raise additional funds so everything is above board, fair and transparent. The complication is fundraising for the Expedition itself vs the seperate but linked activity of raising money for Motivation.

We hope that you’ve seen the new ‘Donate’ buttons on the site – these will direct donations to the Indlovu Drive itself, and will be used to help expedition costs such as:

• Spare parts and maintenance
• Travelling Expenses (budgeted at £50-80 per day between us)
  • Accommodation
  • Food
  • Fuel
• Visas
• Shipping
• Air fares
• Insurances
• Carnet
• Training

• Any surplus raised above the costs incurred by the Expedition as outlined above, will be passed, in their entirety, to the charity Motivation. The Expedition is not for profit.
• A discreet bank account in the name of the Expedition is being set-up to manage monies raised by fundraising. (Cheques made payable to ‘The Indlovu Trans-Africa Drive’ if you are of a mind to!)
• We think (subject to advice from HMRC and a friendly accountant) that we will need to manage this part of the project as a business. That way things can literally be accountable from the off.

Alternatively to donate to Motivation directly, then please use our JustGiving page (and don’t forget to GiftAid!) – we welcome all support!

We are doing our first fundraiser at Marldon Apple Pie Fair this coming Saturday. We have a table and Tombola – thanks to everyone who has donated prizes for this. It will be the first public unfurling of our new banner, kindly provided by Torbay Blinds and Riviera Signs. It’s a great back-drop and hopefully will help to draw people in to ask for more detail about the trip and Motivation and their work. Thanks to Peter Gratton-Davey, Charlie Wakeham at Torbay Blinds and Dave Latham and Dean at Riviera Signs)

Other events for your diary, courtesy of Dave and Trisha Smith at the Bickley Mill are:

Friday 29th April 2011

Leaving Party Extravaganza

The Marquee

Newton Abbot RFC

Tags: biography, Charity, Ethics, finance, funding, money, motivation, philosophy, Press, Sponsorship, Visa, www.motivation.org.uk

Brixham News Article

pdf (a legible copy) can be downloaded here…

Brixham News pdf transcript

Tags: biography, Press, www.motivation.org.uk

Much thanks to Gillian Bence for a welcome donation to Motivation.org.uk.

Thanks to Gareth Hardwick for a very generous donation to the Expedition Fund accompanied by some great sentiment..

The Bickley Mill, Stoneycombe

Also thanks to Trish and Dave Smith at the Bickley Mill who have pledged to host two fundraising events. A Fish Cooking Demo and Lunch (likely 22/23rd Nov tbc) and a Wine Tasting Evening on 22nd January 2011 – if anyone has any raffle prizes for these or other events then please do get in touch with me 07778 547119 or email. More details to follow but please put the dates in your diaries.

Thanks to Peter Gratton-Davey and Charlie Wakeham at Torbay Blinds and Dave Latham and Dean Griffiths at Riviera Signs for helping with a banner that we can use at publicity events.

Tags: Charity, funding, Sponsorship, www.motivation.org.uk

In part, I’m sure due to work’s Communications Team helping to distribute our Press Release – there has been if not a flurry exactly, a swell of interest from a couple of media organisations. 

BBC Radio Devon

This morning I had the pleasure of meeting BBC Radio Devon’s Sophie Pierce, for what was my first radio interview. We had a brief, preparatory chat about my background and history, and then we were straight in. Luckily for both me and the potential listener it was all recorded rather than live. I did advise Sophie that I can “go on a bit” – and between nerves, inexperience and maybe by even having a story to tell, I did just that! 

The paradox is that I’ll have to listen to whatever she can edit together to remember what it was that I actually said. All I can hope is that there’s enough there to be of interest to anyone who listens to the finished piece. I certainly plugged Motivation. Hopefully some of the stats reflecting the size of the challenge that their work is trying to address will make it into the final edit. 

E.G.  You do the maths on this: The numbers are obscenely staggering and illustrate an under-publicised, modern day, global scandal in my view….. 

“It is estimated

• that only 2% of people with disabilities in low-income countries have access to rehabilitation and appropriate basic services.
• Nearly 90% of the global burden of disability occurs in low-income countries, the very countries where so little is spent on rehabilitation. Anyone with a disability is automatically disadvantaged because disability makes poverty worse. It increases isolation and economic strain for the affected family as well as the individual. Statistics show that children with disabilities are more likely to die young, become malnourished or neglected. Disabled people who are denied education are then unable to find employment and the circle becomes more vicious.”

Anyway, as far as my Andy Warhol (15) moment(s), I suppose that I shouldn’t be too perturbed, as the Royal Geographic Society’s guidance on radio production says that in general, 100 minutes of raw material is needed to make just 1 minute of good listening!

Sophie couldn’t be sure when exactly it will go out – but thought it would probably be on the BBC Radio Devon Breakfast Show sometime (0600 – 0900,  103.4 FM | 95.7 FM)

Brixham News (the free paper) have also shown an interest and I have sent them some pictures (heavily photoshopped of course!) and some detail on what we are hoping to achieve.  Karen from BN has said that they hope to get something published in the next couple of weeks.

We can only hope that this is the beginning of a lot of good publicity as that can only help with fundraising. Certainly it was another novel experience enjoyed as a result of undertaking this project.

Tags: Africa, biography, Charity, disability, Ethics, motivation, philosophy, Press, Publicity, Sponsorship, www.motivation.org.uk

A Motivation Wheelchair Workshop

We also mass produce a range of appropriate and durable wheelchairs, called  Worldmade, for developing countries which are assembled, prescribed and fitted by trained local services and workshops.” Motivation.Org.uk  

Cora Dobbie

Cora Dobbie has made a fantastic donation to Motivation – equating to another wheelchair for someone in the developing world. It also adds to Motivation’s 20th Anniversary £500 000 Campaign, “Wheels Out of Poverty” which our Azalai Land Rover,  Indlovu Trans Africa Drive is specifically supporting. Thanks Mum in Law X  

If you would like to easily make a donation to Motivation (and claim gift aid too) then please click here to go to our Just Giving Page. Any amount will make a real difference to the lives and opportunities of disabled people across the globe.

Tags: Charity, disability, Ethics, motivation, wheelchair, www.motivation.org.uk

“Throughout the world disabled people are excluded from social and economic activities on a daily basis. Many are not able to even leave their homes because of inaccessible streets, buildings and transportation. Even when an individual’s mobility needs have been met, finding and keeping employment can be tough if not impossible if you have a disability. There are many reasons for this: services, structures and information may be inaccessible, the rule of law may not be applied and the attitudes and prejudices of others may prevent access to the basic human right to employment. Solving this problem requires a twin-track approach, providing disabled people with the skills to demand their own inclusion, while also working with service providers such as businesses, non government organisations (NGOs) and government agencies to ensure they fully understand why and how to include disabled people. In partnership with local disabled people’s organisations, Motivation seeks to tackle the root causes of exclusion and to increase opportunity and participation in daily life for disabled people. “

Eli Andrews

Many thanks to Eli Andrews for her kind donation to Motivation.org.uk via our JustGiving page .  By my reckoning it buys a pressure cushion at least and that can literally save someones life. Thanks Eli.

Tags: Charity, disability, Ethics, motivation

Not much to report, current completion estimate is 5-6 weeks (August in essence). Work is continuing on the pod (probably an understatement). Martin (OEC) has liaised with Gosling regarding the hand-controls and current thinking is to get them fitted at OEC. The tail-lift/access is still to be cracked – but we are all in the same ball-park regarding the sort of thing we need.

Inside the cut-out Azalai pod

We had a second fund-raising and logistics meet, and a few events are firming-up in concept. Of course we’ll be circulating details of those on the site (and any other means possible!) as they come to fruition.

Both Rachel and I have advised work (Torbay Care Trust) of our plans [to take a career break] and found them to be very supportive. To be fair in the current climate we are probably doing the country a favour as we’ll be saving the public purse the salary outlay for the duration; plus we are spending loads in the private sector in the meantime! (Albeit that a large proportion is borrowed money.) Of course there is a risk, as despite whatever policy is in place, we are, strictly speaking, leaving our jobs.

Rachel and Paul check out the finished Ashcroft conversion

Rob Cooksley also made a fantastic donation to www.motivation.org.uk via our just giving page. Money donated this way goes straight to Motivation. Obviously anything and everything is welcome as it all counts (from pennies upwards). Plus if you are a tax payer there’s something perversely satisfying about seeing the gift-aid element clawed back from the Revenue, right in front of your eyes! Try it, trust me it works….

Tags: adaptation, Azalai, Build, Charity, disability, Equipment, motivation, OEC, Vehicle, www.motivation.org.uk