2015
Left to right: Jill McGrath (QMS Placement Officer), Jordan Barr, Andrew Bennett, Matthew Gourley
Matthew Gourley, a student on the BSc Actuarial Science and Risk Management programme, along with 2 of his friends, are about to set off on a 10,000 mile adventure in their tiny car to raise money for both Cool Earth, a charity that works alongside indigenous villages to halt rainforest destruction, and TinyLife, Northern Ireland's premature and vulnerable baby charity, as part of the Mongol Rally.
The group came across a promotional video for the Mongol Rally 18 months ago and decided there and then that this was something they wanted to participate in. Since then, they have been applying for visas to cover the 30 odd countries they will be travelling across. The rally launches from Goodwood England and ends in the Russian town of Ulan-Ude. They have been working on their car since buying it in December, and have added a roof rack and sump guard, brought the fuel and brake lines through the car rather than under, and changed the power steering and alternator belts.
The route from Goodwood is not set, although the organisers organise a few parties along the way – one of the parties is an abandoned railway station in Prague. The rally itself is unaided so if the group break down they are on their own. As the organisers say “Neither your car, nor your life, will ever be the same again.”
Check our Facebook page for updates on the group’s journey and if you would like to support the chosen charities, please use one of the links below:
https://www.justgiving.com/carofthecountydown