Content
Trail Blazing Firefighters
- Keith (left) and Phil start their journey
A pair of former firefighters have blazed a trail across the country, hitch hiking on planes, trains and automobiles, to raise money for Compton Hospice.
Keith Mellor, 54, and Phil Pitt, 56, both from Oldbury, took on the challenge in memory of their friend and colleague Bob Barlow, who passed away earlier this year following a19-month battle with cancer. Bob was just 48 years old.
- At Lands End
They set off from Compton Hospice on Monday, October 15, at 9.15am in a vintage fire engine, which took them the first couple of miles. A round trip of approximately 1,700 miles followed, from Compton to Lands End, then on to John O’Groats and finally back to the hospice. The duo arrived back late Thursday night after receiving lifts from various strangers who were more than happy to support their cause, they even managed to get a first class train journey from Edinburgh to Wolverhampton.
Keith said: “It took three months of planning to get this under way, apart from the short trip in the fire engine and the offer of a plane trip from Bristol to Inverness, we had no idea how we were going to travel the rest of the journey.
“We were very lucky to receive the help that we did. People were so kind and we never had to wait more than 15 minutes before being picked up.”
- John ‘O’ Groats
Keith and Phil are both former fire officers of Smethwick and Dudley Fire Stations and were close friends with Bob. The three worked together at Oldbury Fire Station and were involved in many charity events together.
Phil added: “It was an obvious choice for us to fundraise for Compton Hospice after seeing first-hand the amazing work they do with the families that access their services.
”Bob and his wife and children gained great comfort from their support and were always singing the praises of the remarkable staff there. If we can help them achieve their funding targets, so they can help more people like Bob in the future, it will be well worth the effort.”
- Arriving safely home
Community fundraiser at the hospice, Michelle Price, said: “We are extremely grateful for the support we receive from people like Keith and Phil, who give up so much of their time to raise a fantastic amount of money for us, and raise the profile of what we do across the country.”
Keith and Phil have raised over £7000 for the hospice. Anyone still wishing to sponsor Keith and Phil can do so by visiting
www.justgiving.com/BobBarlowFund
or by donating at any bank to:-
Bob Barlow Fund HSBC Bank. Sort Code 40-19-28. Account number 71894595
If you have any further questions about Compton Hospice and Fundraising, please call 0845 225 5497 or contact us. We will do our utmost to help with your enquiry.
Patient Comments