Franchisee completes grueling car rally for charity

Signs Express franchisee helps raise £300,000 for charity by completing the Karmaenduro charity car rally. Phil Shellam, owner of Signs Express Worchester, along with fellow local businessman Mick Buckland traveled to India to take part in the Karmaenduro, a charity car rally through southern India. The rally, which saw over 50 cars travel 2000km from Goa to Kerala, raised £300,000 for charity.

The journey tool 11 days and on some occasions 14 hours a day to complete. It included driving through a grueling route of dense forest trails, deserts, mountainous areas and coping with hectic city traffic. As well as coping with tough terrain, drivers also had the challenge of driving the 1950s Ambassador car boasting a mere 37 horsepower.

Phil comments: 'It was a privilege to be involved in such a worth while event and a brilliant opportunity to see the real India. It was almost surreal in parts of the trip and is still sinking in now. Once completed I felt a mixture of emotions including a feeling of elation but also extreme tiredness - driving a two tonne vehicle with no power steering was a challenge in itself!'

The event raised money for Adventure Ashram, a charity raising money for remote village communities in need of medical and educational care in India, and for the Rainbow Trust Children's Charity, which gives support to families who have a child with a terminal illness.