Finning engineer Chris Bee is taking on a 194 mile tuk-tuk drive from Skegness to Blackpool, raising funds for Race Against Dementia.
The coast to coast challenge will take place over four days, 22nd to 25th May. With a top speed of only 35mph the journey will present a genuine endurance challenge, with a route planned that avoids all motorways.
The tuk-tuk has been imported from India for the occasion and has been fitted with VisionLink™ telemetry software by Finning UK & Ireland, enabling Chris’ colleagues to remotely monitor his journey.
The VisionLink software, which can be fitted as both new or retrofit software, is usually reserved for tracking, optimising and monitoring the performance of heavy machinery and can be accessed via Cat central, allowing operators to enhance onsite efficiency. In this instance it will allow Chris’ colleagues to track his progress and support him as he travels across the country.
Taking on the challenge with friend Rick Martin, and with help from a support team from Tuk-Tuk UK, Chris’s journey will begin at the RNLI station in Skegness and finish the first day at Lincoln Cathedral.
Day 2 will present the biggest test of Chris’ endurance as the journey takes him through Worksop and Sheffield via the A57 to stay overnight in Hyde. The final day of the challenge will see Chris travel around Manchester on the A56 towards Bolton, up to Darwen and then on to the finish line at the RNLI station in Blackpool.
Chris has committed to this challenge to raise money for Race Against Dementia after his mother was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. The charity, founded by Sir Jackie Stewart OBE, funds early career researchers to help accelerate progress towards a cure for dementia.
Chris said: “Dementia is a disease that affects a lot of people and over the past few years it has impacted my family following my Mum’s diagnosis. I have been trying to raise as much money as I can over the past few years and this year myself, Rick and our families wanted to step it up by completing our biggest challenge yet.”
Some of Chris biggest supporters have been his colleagues at Finning UK & Ireland who helped to fit the tuk-tuk with VisionLink software during a visit to the company headquarter in Cannock, Staffordshire.
“We know this won’t be an easy challenge but have already been blown away by the level of support we have received. Finning has been really generous in fitting the tuk-tuk with VisionLink so my colleagues can support me remotely. It will be really motivating to know they are watching my progress, and I am thrilled to operate what could be one of the world’s first telematics-enabled tuk-tuks!”
Kathryn Palmer, Digital Manager at Finning UK & Ireland said: “Everyone at Finning is immensely proud of what Chris has already achieved in raising money to help Race Against Dementia in their fight against this life-changing disease. We are proud to support him on his tuk-tuk challenge and will be watching our telemetry data closely to monitor his progress.
“On behalf of everyone at Finning UK & Ireland, we wish Chris, Rick and their families the best of luck as they take on this incredible challenge.”
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