Bournemouth Airport provided an unusual pit stop when an epic 3,000-mile charity rally called in on its journey home to Scotland.
Dr Cor Hutton MBE, founder of amputee charity Finding Your Feet, and members of her fundraising team were welcomed during the homeward stretch of Cor’s Banger Rally Challenge.
The visit came after the team arrived back in the UK by ferry at Portsmouth as part of a mammoth challenge taking them through 10 countries in 12 days and covering more than 3,000 miles.
They were given a special welcome at Bournemouth Airport’s XLR Executive Jet Centre, where they and their rally cars were given some special pit stop treatment before continuing their long journey north, including a planned stop at XLR Birmingham.
Cor founded Finding Your Feet after contracting sepsis in 2013. She was given just a 5% chance of survival and subsequently had both hands and both legs amputated. After finding there was nobody who could provide the peer support she needed, she established Finding Your Feet which supports amputees, people born without limbs and their families.
Since then, Cor has become the first female quadruple amputee to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, the first Scot to receive a double hand transplant, and a national voice for disability, organ donation and health awareness.
Her latest challenge has seen her behind the wheel of a 19-year-old Audi TT as part of Cor’s Banger Rally Challenge which set off from Glasgow on 11 August, with four cars making the journey south before joining the Two Ball Banger Rally in Saint-Omer, northern France.
The European adventure took in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Monaco’s FI circuit, plus a drive over the famous Stelvio Pass in the Italian Alps, before reaching Nice. The convoy then began the near 1,300-mile journey back to Glasgow.
Cor, whose son Rory also took part as the group’s unofficial mechanic, said: “It was fantastic to receive such a warm welcome at Bournemouth Airport on the final stretch of what has been an incredible adventure. We set out to have a lot of fun, push ourselves and, most importantly, raise as much money and awareness as possible for Finding Your Feet. Every penny we raise helps us provide peer support, wellbeing activities and a community for amputees and their families.
“After thousands of miles on the road, getting the cars onto an airport apron was certainly one of the more unusual stops on the journey. A huge thank you to everyone at Bournemouth Airport and XLR for getting behind us and making us feel so welcome.”
Steve Gill, Managing Director of Bournemouth Airport, said: “We were delighted to welcome Cor and the team to Bournemouth Airport and to play a small part in what is an inspirational fundraising challenge.
“Cor’s story and everything she has achieved through Finding Your Feet is remarkable. When we heard the team would be passing through the area on their way home, we wanted to give them a memorable Bournemouth welcome and help shine a spotlight on the fantastic work the charity does.
“We hope their visit helps generate even more awareness and support for Finding Your Feet, and we wish Cor and everyone involved every success with their fundraising.”
Finding Your Feet is Scotland’s only national charity supporting amputees, people born without limbs and their families. Money raised through the rally will go towards the charity’s peer support, wellbeing and community services.
To find out more about Cor’s Banger Rally Challenge and make a donation, visit:
https://findingyourfeet.net/cors-banger-rally-donate/
