Mongolia and back in a van with 130,000 miles on the clock

Two men are taking on the ‘mammoth expedition’ of 20,000 miles, five mountain ranges and three deserts in two continents in their transit van to raise money for a hospice.

On Sunday Teddy Samengo-Turner from Staplefield and friend Charles Hewitt-Dedman from Rusper, both 22, will attempt to drive from London to Mongolia and back again to raise money for St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Eastbourne.

Teddy said: “The vehicle we will be using to tackle this mammoth expedition is a Ford Transit rental van, with over 130,000 miles on the clock!

“Our worthy steed has been kindly supplied by Choice Vehicle Rentals of Eastbourne. We would like to thank them for all the mechanical work they have carried out on the van to prepare it for such an arduous journey. We won’t let you down.”

Teddy and Charles have been friends since they started at Handcross Park School at the age of six.

“I’d say we are most worried about sleeping in the back of a transit for 60 days, and if anything too serious goes wrong mechanically,” Teddy said.

“We have always got on very well but living in the back of a van for two months may put certain strains on any friendship, especially as we will be lacking washing facilities!

“I would also say I am probably the worst driver of the two!”

St Wilfrid’s is a charity providing skilled and compassionate care and treatment for people living with a life limiting illness. Their hope is for a community where people talk openly about dying, live well until the end of their life and where nobody dies alone, afraid or in pain.

Teddy continued: “We encourage you to show your support for us by making a donation, however small, to St Wilfrid’s Hospice. Remember, the money you give will be used to make someone’s final experience in this world a better one.”

The two friends have been students until recently, Charles at Newcastle University studying agriculture and Teddy at college in Brighton.

They plan to travel down the Transfagarasan highway in Romania, known to some to be the best driving road in the world, before travelling through Iraq, Iran and then Turkmenistan.

“We will visit the Doorway To Hell which is a burning crater in the middle of nowhere,” Teddy explained.

Charles has also worked for Bill Kear Plant and Agricultural Contractors in Dorking for the past five years, and the company has donated £500 to their fund raising page www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/Choicemongolia2014.

Teddy continued: “No expedition vehicle would be complete without some eye-catching, personalised, vehicle graphics!

“We would like to thank Jellyfish Design for designing and fitting the artwork that can be seen on the van.”

He also thanks Trakglobal for fitting a tracking unit to the van which will allow people all to follow their progress across the globe.

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