This year’s journey not only tested their resilience on the road, but also brought in an impressive £2,500—pushing the events grand fundraising total over a remarkable £80,000.
The Rust Bucket Rally, challenges participants to travel across Europe in cars worth no more than £1000. For Team Chester, it’s become an annual mission since 2019, driven by purpose and camaraderie in memory of Chester Fountain.
“We’re proud to have taken part in this rally for the fifth year running,” said Karl. “Each mile we clock up helps raise awareness and funds for local charities. This year we travelled with another 70 cars through France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and also spent 2 days in the Swiss alps. every penny raised was donated to Cynthia Spencer Hospice helping them to continue supporting families across Northamptonshire; it is even more special to do it in my boys memory"
We received generous support of family, friends and local sponsors to help us hit that £2500 mark. Special thanks go to:
Castle Climate Control
Kingsley Roofing and Solar
VSS (Ventilation Specialist Services)
Morison FM
Matthew Oliver Windows and Doors
TK Window Cleaning Services
Chemical Tools
Dan Air
H2X
Air Conditioning One
The team’s vehicle—affectionately dubbed their “rusty bucket”—looked anything but rusty thanks to Skins Vinyl and Wrapping, who ensured the car proudly showcased the team’s sponsors and the Cynthia Spencer Hospice branding. Project 39 also brought the car to life, providing full detailing before and after the rally, helping it shine both at the start line and once the rally had finished.
Behind the scenes, critical support came from Northampton College’s Motor Vehicle Department at Booth Lane, who worked hard to make the car roadworthy and rally-ready. Their expertise gave Karl and Warren the best possible chance to complete the journey in full and safely. Simon Cooke from Northampton College said "The project was taken on by this years full time Level 3 students and were tasked with carrying out a full service, Upgrading the exhaust for something a little bit louder. They also needed to address some leaks coming from multiple places, so that required replacement of both rocker cover gaskets on the V6 engine. Finally, to ensure the aerodynamics are what we need for speed all the missing undertrays were replaced.
Once again, this was a great opportunity for the students to get involved on live work and give them an incite to the types of jobs they would carry out in the real world.
This really was a fantastic and rewarding experience for all involved and are looking forward to hopefully helping out next year to keep this Rust Bucket on the road". Additional thanks go to Motor Parts Direct Northampton, whose generous supply of parts for the college to fit ensured another year of safe, efficient motoring.
As Team Chester looks ahead to future rallies, their continued commitment to fundraising for local charities stands as a testament to the power of community, teamwork, and the rust bucket family. Here’s to the next adventure—and the next milestone on the road to making a difference.
for more information on the Rust bucket Rally please visit www.therustbucketrally.co.uk
