Two brewers from Bedford have set off on a unique trip of a lifetime to raise vital funds for an international disaster relief charity.
Packing brewer, Jon Slate, 34, and assistant brewer, Sam Till, 29, both work at Brewpoint in Bedford but have taken time off to drive 3,000km across India in a rickshaw named Meera to raise money for the charity ShelterBox.
Undeterred by breaking down just minutes from the start line, and colliding with another rickshaw on day one, the duo, joined by Jon’s friend Nathan Heath, 34, a bartender from Colorado in the US.
They were inspired by ShelterBox’s work, delivering emergency shelter to disaster-affected people around the world.
The group, self-named The Wolf Pack, started their journey in Jaisalmer in the far northwest of India earlier this month and are making good progress.
However, they’d all admit that the trip has already proved to be pretty eventful.
“We got hit by another rickshaw on day one. And we broke down about 250 metres from the starting gate. After replacing the carburettor and a fuel line, we were back on the road but learning to navigate the chaotic traffic is not for the faint-hearted,” said Jon.
“We have had some great city views, and delicious chai’s on the side of the road, and can’t stop anywhere without someone wanting a selfie with our Meera.”
Sam, a keen runner, said: “Our fundraising challenge is quite simply trying to turn the likes and silly social media attention that this adventure will garner on its own into something more socially beneficial.”
It was Nathan, the team’s engineer, who came up with the idea for the challenge.
Nathan is a volunteer ShelterBox response team member – ready to deploy with the charity at a moment’s notice when disaster strikes. He has deployed twice to tropical storms in the Philippines and most recently to Haiti following the 2021 earthquake.
“An old disaster response buddy told me about this adventure years ago and the idea stuck. When COVID hit, it seemed the right time to put it all together,” said Nathan.
“I met Jon seven years ago in New Zealand and we have been bumping into each other around the world ever since. When I started putting this adventure together, he was my first call. He was an immediate yes.”
Jon says he’s the “glue of the team”, as until they set off, Sam and Nathan had never met before.
“All in all, we’re super excited about this trip, and if we can raise some money for disaster relief around the world along the way, then amazing.”
ShelterBox specialises in providing emergency shelter and other essential items to people across the globe and has helped more than two million people across 98 countries since it was formed in 2000.
ShelterBox teams do whatever it takes to get to the people who need humanitarian aid most, whether that’s traveling by foot, boat, helicopter, or tuk-tuk.
The charity is currently supporting people affected by largely forgotten crises, including in Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Cameroon, Yemen, and Syria.
The Wolf Pack hope to finish their charity fundraiser in Kochi in the southwest two weeks after they started and raise £1,000 with the support of family and friends.
Community Fundraising Assistant for ShelterBox, Evie Bond says: “This isn’t your usual charity fundraiser, or even your standard road trip, and that’s what we love about this challenge – it’s guaranteed to get a reaction.
“The trio are on the adventure of a lifetime while raising money to help disaster-affected people across the world.
“I’m sure it’s going to be a lot of fun, perhaps challenging at times, but supporters like Sam, Jon and Nathan make such a positive difference to the lives of people they will never meet.”
Back in Bedford, a spokesperson for Brewpoint said: “We are really excited to have two of our beloved Brew Crew voyaging across India to fundraise for ShelterBox.
“They may not set any land speed records in their trusty tuk-tuk, but we know they’ll raise some much-needed funds for a very worthy cause, and have a lot of fun while they’re at it.”
You can find out more about the Wolf Pack challenge and sponsor the trio at their fundraising page here.
