Bromsgrove man one of the first in the country to sign up to The Italian Job Rally 2018 - The Bromsgrove Standard

Bromsgrove man one of the first in the country to sign up to The Italian Job Rally 2018

Bromsgrove Editorial 14th Feb, 2018   0

A BROMSGROVE man will drive in the tyre tracks of Michael Caine’s Charlie Croker character in The Italian Job when he takes on a 3,000-mile charity rally.

Ed Helps is one of the first people in the country to sign up to the challenge and will even be in an old Ford Thames 400E camper van, a replica of the one which appeared in the film as the football fans’ ‘Dormobile’ decorated van. Ed has been restoring the van for the last three years.

While most people participating in the Italian Job Rally will be driving Minis, other vehicles can be used as long as they featured in the classic 1969 film.

The trip of a lifetime will raise funds for the Buttle UK charity which supports the 4million children in the UK living in poverty.




The rally takes participants through the film’s locations, including France, Belgium and Germany, along with the city of Turin with its elegant squares, colonnaded walkways and Roman ruins. They will also drive to the Palazzo Carignnano, the location in the film where the Minis were loaded with the gold bullion.

Ed said: “It has been months in the planning and we will soon be on our way.


“I hope other Mini owners in the area will join me and together we can help raise urgently needed funds for Buttle UK to help eradicate child poverty in the UK.”

Buttle UK provides grants for vulnerable children and young people. It is named after Frank Buttle whose hard work and personal sacrifice helped establish the grant programmes which have been helping those in need across the UK since 1953.

A rallying call has also gone out to any owners of Minis and other classic cars which featured in the film. Raising £1,500 per car for the cause is a condition of entry.

Gerri McAndrew, CEO of Buttle UK added: “These are particularly tough times for families that are struggling and we know the numbers of children living in poverty are rising all the time.

“We hope any Mini owner in the area will seriously consider taking part this summer and help make a real difference.”

He added it was a fun way to help children in the UK and 100 per cent of any sponsorship money raised went directly to the charity.

The Italian Job 2018 starts on October 27 and reaches the finishing line on November 2.

Visit www.italianjob.com for more information on taking part.

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