Member Article

Tees Valley entrepreneur takes on Mongolia

A Tees Valley businessman is preparing to take on a 10,000-mile journey across two continents, five mountain ranges, two deserts and 17 countries - in a 49-year-old Morris Minor.

Jim Mann, director of three Tees Valley-based businesses - hotel booking firm, Bedsearcher and paintball businesses Point Blank and Just Paintball - is taking on the challenge of the 2008 Mongol Rally in a bid to raise £20,000 for charity.

Mr Mann’s team, entitled Extreme International, will join 299 other teams gathering in London’s Hyde Park on July 19 to drive their 1959 Morris Minor 1000 on the journey to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Teams have to choose their own route and the only rules are that every team must have a vehicle with an engine no larger than one litre and satellite navigation is forbidden.

Last year’s event raised nearly £200,000 for its partner charities and most teams raise between £1000 -£2000 each. Extreme International has a higher goal than that and has created a website dedicated to its cause at www.2008-mongol-rally.com.

Mr Mann said: “Our goal is to raise £20,000 for several charities, principally Mercy Corps. If we hit our target we will be the most successful fundraising team in the history of the Mongol Rally. The journey itself is going to be a challenge - particularly in Martha the Morris Minor who, according to her clock, has only done 28,000 miles in her lifetime.”

Alison Cameron, director of fundraising at Mercy Corps, said: “Mercy Corps is delighted to be the principle charity for the 2008 Mongol Rally. As a leading international relief and development charity we are looking forward to being involved again with this unique event and meeting the teams whose fundraising will make a real difference to our work in Mongolia. It is inspiring to see the entrepreneurial, can-do attitude of all the teams taking part.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .