Relishing the challenge of driving from China to Cornwall – some 14,000 km – in aid of Save The Children, Mark Saunders, managing director of Puckator, couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel of his car.
Explained Mark, who spends on average of four months a year at Puckator’s Xiamen office in China: “I’ve had the idea of driving from Xiamen to Cornwall for a couple of years now. I hoped the trip would be well supported, but momentum has really gathered pace along the way, and I am delighted that we have now smashed the original donation target of £10,000, with a way to go yet.”
He says that the planning has been long and full of challenges, but when it came to choosing a charity to support the choice was simple. “Save The Children is a charity close to my heart,” he emphasises. “The work they do to ensure the safety of children in times of crisis, and also, s in providing them with a better future, is incredible.”
From congested roads, flat tyres, police checks and fuel embargos, Mark encountered a whole range of challenges before he even left China. Plus, the long drive has seen him driving over mountains, across deserts, through steppe, and encountering sandstorms. On one occasion there were prairie fires, while at other times, camels and wild horses were the only sign of life.
Nevertheless, after several issues involving crossing national borders, Mark is now on the last stretch of his epic drive, which will see him travel from the Ukraine through to Poland, Germany and France, arriving back in the UK at the end of August.
To donate, visit www.drivingthesilkroad.com and www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mark-howard30
Top: Mark Saunders (back row) outside Puckator’s Xiamen office at the start of the fundraising China to Cornwall road trip.
