Chris and Dee head for Mongolia - by ambulance!

A SERGEANT from RAF College Cranwell is planning to embark on an epic journey, driving an ambulance to a remote country in the Far East.

Sgt Chris Pacey sets off on July 7 from Cranwell on a 10,000 mile road journey to Mongolia to deliver an ambulance on behalf of a relatively new charity called Go Help.

Chris, who serves with the RAF Regiment at the Officer and Aircrew Cadet Training Unit, will be accompanied on the drive by his wife Dee and ‘Teamrockape’, as they are affectionately known (after the forces nickname for the RAF Regiment – the Rock Apes), will deliver an ambulance kindly donated by Alisdair Couper from Terberg DTS, who they met last year during a Help for Heroes rally.

Go Help is a UK registered charity which provides emergency vehicles to areas where there is a desperate need. In Mongolia there are so few ambulances that it is not unusual for the sick or the injured to wait three hours for help to arrive followed by a three hour journey to hospital. However, with the provision of ambulances from the UK, many lives can be saved.

“Our journey will see us driving alone and unsupported across to Eastern Europe and into the Ukraine where we will stop and visit a local children’s orphanage,” said Chris.

“We’ll then continue through some difficult terrain along the Trans Siberian Highway, through Kazakhstan, back into Russia then onward into Mongolia heading for the capital Ulaanbaatar, where we will meet the teams who will take delivery of the ambulance.

“We are aiming to raise £1,000 for Go Help, the charity who organise the import of the ambulance,” he added, “then anything over and above that is going to be donated to the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance.”

Chris are Dee are hoping to secure support by way of fuel sponsorship, medical equipment and vehicle spares. Being seasoned travellers they are pretty well equipped on a personal level but there are a few outstanding items on their wish list which can be found on their website at www.teamrockape.co.uk

Throughout his career Chris has always been involved in raising money for a variety of charities by organising various events including track days and off road driving days.

Then, in late 2009, while looking to take part in something that would give them experience rallying in other countries, Dee found the Help for Heroes European 4X4 rally and Teamrockape was born. They took part in the 2010 and 2011 rallies and have raised in the region of £27,000.