Hello to all our new readers
Good afternoon from VBR23 HQ up here (or down here) in sunny (NOT) North Wales.
As I look out of the window at the declining evening light, I think to myself............ What the Fook am I doing here?......
Then I realise, I am the organiser of the rally and as such need to pull my finger out and do a few updates to you all.
As you can see, the nominated charity in 2023 will be the wonderful, Blind Veterans UK. I am sure you will all agree that they are a worthy beneficiary for the 2023 rally.
For those of you that do not know about the rally, here is a general synopsis
Buy a vehicle for £999 or under
Put a team together of 2,3 or 4 people * (See below)
Enter your team to the rally via the website at veteransbangerrally.co.uk or via email at veteransbangerrally@gmail.com the cost for the whole team (regardless of number of teammates) is £300 PER TEAM (NOT PER PERSON)
Decorate / customise your vehicle
Drive the route from the UK to Gibraltar
Enjoy the evening's entertainment on each night
relive the camaraderie of years gone by, when you could have an opinion and/or banter
Make memories
Win trophies / medals / spot prizes along the way.
* - At least ONE member of each team must be either a veteran or serving member of the armed forces. Other team members can be made up of civilian friends/family. You can also have a team entirely made up of veterans and/or serving members if you so wish.
The 2023 event will take place from the 25th of September - 1st of October and will take in some of the best roads that France and Spain have to offer.
We do not have a set route between stop off points, as some want to use toll roads and others, non-toll roads.
We ask that teams stay together in small groups to aid banter / security for team members in case of breakdown etc.
There will be a few minor changes from the "22" rally.
in that we will no longer allow "Single Person Vehicles", this is due to fatigue and safety.
ALL teams MUST have and show proof of European Breakdown Cover before being allowed onto the rally.
Admin / Event management will NOT be responsible for helping to fand and retrieve anyone arrested during the rally.
Everyone will be given a list of UK embassies for the areas that we are travelling through to assist you should need arise.
There will be cash prizes (amount to be announced) for the categories noted below.
1st, 2nd & 3rd - Best team / vehicle
Spirit of the event award (Trophy and cash prize)
As per "22", the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Trophy will be given to the team receiving the most votes on completion of the rally for the team that has shown the most determination/spirit during the rally. (This is separate to the Spirit of the event award)
There will also be a "points trophy" for 1st,2nd & 3rd place in the points system (more details in your entry pack)
Q & A
Q. Do I have to pay for my own accommodation?
A. Yes, you do. we will try to get some good deals for teams to stay in the same hotels etc (More info to follow)
Q. Do we have to stick together in convoy?
A. It is recommended that teams should stick together in groups of anything from 3-10 vehicles (As previously stated, ideal for security/breakdowns etc)
Q. Do I have to scrap my car at the end?
A. No, you can drive it back if you wish
Q. How do I scrap my car?
A. We have an allocated dealer that will purchase your vehicles for 150Euros.
Q. Does my vehicle need to taxed and MOT'd? (I have been asked this!!)
A. Yes, your vehicle does need to be fully taxed, MOT'd and Insured to use both in the UK and in Europe.
Q. Will we get set daily instructions?
A. A morning briefing will take place each day and also, updates on the Facebook group etc throughout the day.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch and I / we will try our very best to answer them in a timely manner.
Please be aware that most of the admins have full time jobs and volunteer their time to the rally around full-time work.
We will soon have our very own You-Tube channel (Courtesy of Mr Stewart Walker) more details to be announced soon
Check out our numerous social media feeds on Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok.
One final point for this quick post is that we are on the lookout for sponsors for the rally and we are very keen to speak with any companies that we feel would benefit from aligning themselves with the Veterans Banger Rally.
Look after yourselves and always remember
Don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.
John & Team