Team Oxford helped the Twin Town Challenge 2016 raise more than £250,000 for charity SpecialEffect.
The team, comprising Oxford Products founder Alec Hammond and his three sons, Andrew (current MD) and twin brother Graham and older brother Richard, entered an old Mercedes in the event, which involved driving to Le Touquet, the twin town of Witney, home to the bike and bicycle distributor.
More than 100 cars, all bought for less than £500, left Blenheim Palace on Friday 27 May and headed for Silverstone before crossing to France and on to Le Touquet. During the weekend they undertook a series of fun challenges such as blind driving, car boxing and car booty as well as a treasure hunt. There were also bonus points for the best-dressed car and team, which provided some amazing decorations and outfits from pink suited men, Christmas trees, Mexican bandits, golfers and shell fish.
On the Sunday night, French and English gathered together for a street party in Le Touquet with a live 10-piece band called The Village Idiots who had travelled from Stonesfield in Oxfordshire to play for Twin Town 16.
The welcome home party on Monday 31 May was hosted at Abbott Diabetes who provided a British bake off-style tea with cakes made by the staff. Over half the cars were donated for auction at West Oxfordshire Motor Auctions in aid of the charity.
Twin Town is the brainchild of STL Communications MD Brendon Cross and is organised by a team of volunteers, over 50 of whom acted as marshals, fundraisers, minibus drivers, mechanics, scorers and generally managed the 500 people taking part in the event, both in the UK and in France.
Fundraising also included an online auction of money can’t buy prizes, bucket shakes in Le Touquet and donations from the teams, many of whom also held their own TTC16 events.
The money will be used by Charlbury based SpecialEffect to help more young people with disabilities to play computer games. Dr Mick Donegan, founder and CEO of SpecialEffect, commented: “The success of the amazing Twin Town Challenge 2016 has left the SpecialEffect team both stunned and humbled, not only by the remarkable funds raised but also from the feel-good factor generated by volunteers, sponsors and participants during a weekend that none of us will ever forget. We cannot thank Brendon and every single person involved enough for what they have done to help those who benefit from our life-changing work.”