Fundraisers driving to Benidorm in aid of schoolboy who died from brain tumour

Martin Reeves, from Halesowen, will be joined by Brett Taylor, from Romsley, Darren Cutler, from Bartley Green, and Lee Kemp, from Kings Norton.

They will be raising money for the Brain Tumour Research charity.

It will be in memory of Alvechurch schoolboy, Finlay Church, who died from glioblastoma multiforme in November 2015, aged 11. His passing came 17 months after his diagnosis.

Finlay's parents Penny and Wayne have raised more than £125,000 for the Brain Tumour Research charity.

Martin said: "My son Harley was in the same year as Fin at Alvechurch Middle School. I remember how shocked and devastated everyone in the community was by Fin’s diagnosis and, moved by his story, I wanted to do my bit to support his family.

“The British Banger Charity Rally seemed like a fantastic way to fundraise while also having a bit of fun. I’m feeling very excited and can’t wait to drive around Europe. Brett, Martin and I are currently getting the car serviced and are replacing the tyres. We’re also going to paint dragons on the car as Fin would have loved that.”

The fundraisers will be taking part in the The British Banger Charity Rally, which is a five-day endurance event from Birmingham to Benidorm.

They will set off from Birmingham city centre on May 12 in their Honda Accord, which has been given a custom paint job with Finlay's name of the side of the vehicle.

From there, they will drive to Dover before catching a ferry to Calais. They will then travel through Germany and Switzerland, onto Italy and southern France, before arriving in Benidorm on May 17.

Penny Church said: “It’s touching that three and a half years on from Fin’s death members of the local community are continuing his legacy.

"I’m thankful for Martin, Brett and Darren’s support. We can never make sense of what has happened to us but through fundraising we can try to make a difference for other brain tumour patients.”

Carrie Bater, community fundraising manager at Brain Tumour Research in the Midlands, said: “We are very grateful for the support of Darren, Martin and Brett and wish them the best of luck for the rally. We hope they inspire others to take on a fundraising challenge to help fund the fight against this devastating disease.

“Fin’s story reminds us that brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet have historically been allocated just 1% of the national spend on cancer research.”

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/britishbangersforfinlaysjourney