Advertised on a dedicated Facebook group, the word quickly spread and even the local Fire Service turned up in one of the fire rigs to help lead the procession. That Easter Sunday, Clitheroe Auction Mart car park saw what was considered a good turn-out with over 80 trucks coming together to make their way around the heart of the Ribble Valley, raising £6070.
In 2022 the Truck Run was officially named ‘Ribble Valley Truck Run’ and a notice was placed on the group Facebook page asking for logo design ideas. A local 10-year-old girl responded with the design that has now become the permanent logo for the group and is used on promotional merchandise etc. A ‘JustGiving’ page was created with the proceeds going to the MS Society. Local shops and supermarkets donated chocolate eggs to give out along the route. This time over 120 trucks united to help raise £3882 for the charity and a couple of the spectators dressed up as Toy Story characters Woody and Buzz Lightyear.
In 2023, with the return of the Sunday car boot sale at Clitheroe Auction Mart, a new starting point had to be found. Gisburn Auction Mart kindly agreed that we could use their car park and so the preparations began for the fundraiser in aid of ‘Friends of Serenity’. It was determined that to make the event a success, we would need to advertise it in a bigger way than previously, but we did not want to diminish the amount raised for the chosen charity by paying for advertising. So the introduction of sponsors was added initially to cover the costs but we were so successful with the sponsors that we had to cap them at 10 as we couldn’t fit all their logos on the banners! In addition, we made Easter hampers, raffled them and sold specially designed Ribble Valley Truck Run cab air fresheners to the 179 truck drivers and their co-pilots on the day, raising over £500. A grand total of £6707 was raised with the day’s events.
In 2024 our chosen charity was one which is no doubt close to many hearts – Pendleside Hospice. We were raised an outstanding £9,867.79 with the help of both money and raffle prize donations
Matt, Chris and their wives, April and Kelly have been the main organisers for the past few years with lots of help from friends and family and members of the local wagon driving community. In 2023 Stephanie Crack joined the team to help with the organisations. Matt works for Ribble Valley Commercial and Steph works for T&J Haulage, so between them they have all the contacts for the many wagons, drivers and sponsors that willingly partake each year - they also both enjoy driving a truck on the day! Chris and Kelly look after the JustGiving page, banners, posters, Facebook posts and the collection of donations at various points throughout the event. The collections usually involve around 25 friends and family running round with buckets and giving away freebie Easter treats for the children in the crowds.
This year We have chosen 2 charities ‘The Foundation for Ribble Valley Families’ and ‘Community 4x4 Response ’
We heard of the amazing work carried out by the Foundation for Ribble Valley Families firsthand from a young person who greatly benefitted from their support during a period of bullying at School…..
The aim of FRVF is to provide timely, preventative mental health support to families living in Ribble Valley to stop problems escalating. Our early interventions and activities give parents and young people effective strategies to enable them to manage their own emotional wellbeing and mental health in the long term.
If you ventured out to support us last year, you may remember the fantastic support that we received from a team of 4x4 vehicles, getting us organised and managing traffic
Community 4x4 Response is a registered charity comprising a group of volunteers. They provide support by Transporting essential medical personnel during adverse weather conditions to and from hospitals
Transporting district nurses to patients during adverse weather conditions
Providing logistic support to Local Authorities during adverse weather conditions
They also assist in transporting personnel and equipment to the scene in emergencies where only 4x4 vehicles are capable travelling.
https://www.community4x4response.com/index.aspx
The trucks will leave Gisburn at 13:00, proceed down the A59 to Billington, pass through Whalley, Barrow, Clitheroe centre, and Chatburn, before returning home.
We look forward to seeing you all lining the streets. Don't forget to give us a wave!
You can donate via the following link: https://gvwhl.com/KB5YQ