Published: Tuesday, 23rd June, 2009 10:00am

Mad Hatters travel Europe

by Colin Hutton

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Fundraising friends raise £1,700

A GROUP of mad-hat fundraisers travelled through seven European countries in just five days dressed as characters from the popular Disney film Alice in Wonderland.

Friends Iain McQuade, from Silverton, Anne-Marie Reid, from Brucehill, Miriska Campbell, from Bellsmyre, and Sarah Hollier, from Glasgow, took part in a banger rally tour from Belgium to Croatia.

And they spent the whole trip dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland after the girls decided to call the team "The Mad Hatters" and have a tea party throughout Europe.

The unique event was called the Sucata Split and required teams to find an old banger to drive before trying to raise as much cash as possible for Gemin-i.org - a UK charity which helps bring children in this country together with less fortunate children abroad, through the internet.

Iain, 23, who is an engineering student at Clydebank College, told the Reporter: 'I think we all thought it was a different way to fundraise for a good cause so we bought a van from eBay to enter into the race.

'We managed to get the van for three hundred pounds, but we knew that it needed a fair bit of work.

'We had already spoken to Clydebank College and staff quickly assured us that most of the stuff could be fixed, and fortunately it held up for the whole trip.

'We dubbed ourselves "The Mad Hatters" and after four days of us cramped into the van it started to feel a bit like that.

'The name came from Alice in Wonderland and it was really the girls who wanted it because they all like tea.

'They had the idea of having a mad hatters tea party across Europe - but I drink Bovril.

'I would certainly do it again because all the other teams were great fun and we went out every night in a different country - it was so enjoyable.'

The race started in Brugge, Belgium, on day one and travelled through Luxembourg and France before reaching Strasbourg.

The Sucateers - as the teams were known - then went through Munich, in Germany, and Ljubljana, in Austria, before arriving at the finish line in Split, Croatia.

Iain took on the role of Tweedle Dum throughout the marathon trip - which spanned more than 2,000km - Anne-Marie was the Mad Hatter, Sarah the Queen of Hearts and Miriska was Alice.

Babcock Marine apprentice Iain is delighted with the £1,700 they managed to raise and is full of praise for the college"s motor vehicle department which ensured the van was roadworthy.

Alistair Fleming, from the college"s Engineering department, said: 'We knew Iain was fundraising for a good cause and taking time off work to do the tour.

'The college wanted to make sure that the car would last the pace and the team would have a safe journey.'

He added: 'Congratulations for raising such a fantastic amount.'