One man and two Shire horses have set off on an epic 650-mile journey to raise money for Police Care UK and The Firefighters Charity.
Jamie Alcock is driving Shires Millie and William from Gloucestershire to Morayshire in North East Scotland. He is doing it in memory of his brother, PC John Alcock, a serving officer with Grampian Police who was stationed at Elgin in Morayshire.
In August 2003, John was involved in a road traffic accident while on duty travelling with colleagues for a royal protection shift at Balmoral. He never recovered from his serious injuries and was buried with full police honours 14 years later.
“The local police federation, police charities and chief constable looked after his needs and issues as much as they could and in a most generous way. They did their best for his partner and young son too,” said Jamie, who runs Coldcroft Shires in the Forest of Dean, giving cart rides and showcasing the breed working on the farm.
Jamie’s journey will finish at John’s graveside in Morayshire and he plans to visit the Scottish Police Memorial near Kincardine, where John’s name is carved, en route.
He set off last Saturday (5 June) and anticipates the journey taking eight weeks. His farm dog, Boo Boo Beithe, is with him for company.
Jamie is offering carriage rides en route in return for a small donation
At the time of writing Jamie had travelled 63 miles to Tanworth-in-Arden in Warwickshire.
“The reason for this is to raise money for two essential charities that support serving and retired police officers and their families, and the fire and rescue service community. I want to help raise money so that others can be helped by these charities too,” added Jamie.
“An important part of their work is with injured personnel whether it is physical or emotional and mental health. These people risk much on a daily basis to keep us all safe when needed and protect us.”
Jamie has set up a Just Giving page for donations. Police Care UK will receive 75% of the money raised and The Fire Fighters Charity will receive 25%.
You can follow his progress in real time here and he is offering carriage rides to people en route in return for a £30 donation (per hour). To book, message his Facebook page Coldcroft Shires.
