All aboard for Ethiopia by bus

9:56am Saturday 8th March 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

POLICEMAN Steve Black-more is to undertake a 5,500-charity trip in a double-decker bus with 11 pals . . . and his mum.

The Weymouth-based bobby is set to embark on the once in a lifetime road trip - from Weymouth to Ethiopia.

PC Steve Blackmore and 11 pals and family are hoping to raise £10,000 for child cancer and leukaemia charity CLIC Sargent along the way.

He is also urging football fans to donate old Weymouth and Dorchester Town shirts so he can kit out entire teams in Ethiopia.

Steve, 38, was originally planning on doing the Mongol Rally in a Reliant Robin to raise cash.

But he decided against doing 10,000 miles to Mongolia in four weeks and opted for the bus plan instead.

Steve, from Chickerell, bought the £2,000 Bristol VR bus in November and is busy preparing it for the journey later this year.

"I've taken the seats out and I'm planning on installing a bar and a beer terrace," he said.

"There's going to be 12 of us so I'm also putting in bunk beds and a cooking area."

Keen rugby player Steve will be accompanied by his mum Lucy Howard and Black Dog landlord Ian Tibble on the trip.

His wife Jo and the couple's five-month-old son Lucas will also be joining him for legs of the four-week journey. Steve, who is an enthusiastic traveller who has visited Cambodia and Central America, cannot wait to get going.

He said: "Everyone's very excited and I'm really looking forward to it.

"We've all done some travelling but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. There are so many sights along the way."

Steve's party will travel across deserts and along some of the worst roads in Africa before arriving in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

They will be treated to sights including the pyramids of Giza and the Aswan Dam during the journey.

Steve said: "I think the roads through Sudan are going to be particularly difficult. They're not paved so we'll be driving across the desert for 400 miles.

"We're also going to have to do 2,500 miles across Europe in four days, which should be fun.

"It's going to be a challenge because countries like Sudan and Syria have had their problems.

"But we've appointed a special foreign secretary to look into all the visa issues."

Steve, who has been with Weymouth police for 13 years, said he chose CLIC Sargent because he was eager to help a children's charity.

He will also deliver aid to a hostel for street kids in Cluj, Romania - visited by pupils from Wey Valley School - en route.

"We want to raise as much as we can," he said.

"We want to get at least £10,000 if possible and we'll be running lots of fundraising events.

"I've done lots in the past but I've never travelled to raise money so I want to make it a success."

Steve will donate the bus to an Ethiopian School, for use as a classroom, at the end of the journey and fly home.

"There's lots to organise so I'm on the scrounge at the moment," he added.

"I'm assuming most fans will have old football shirts stuck in the back of their wardrobe so hopefully I can get enough to kit out entire teams.

To help Steve, email spooky388@hotmail.com