'˜My travels on a hearse, fire engine and milk float for charity'

Cycling, flying and hitching a lift on a fire engine have helped a Fylde fundraiser complete a 300 mile challenge using as many different forms of transport as possible.
Karen Rothwell was helped along by the fire brigade on her 'Dorset Dash'Karen Rothwell was helped along by the fire brigade on her 'Dorset Dash'
Karen Rothwell was helped along by the fire brigade on her 'Dorset Dash'

Karen Rothwell boarded boats, planes and trains dressed in a bear suit and collected £2,340 for the British Lung Foundation.

She undertook the journey, dubbed the ‘Dorset Dash’ last month in memory of her mum Maureen Richardson who died in September 2016, aged 74.

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Karen, 54, from Poulton, started off from the Fylde coast on a milk float, cycled on her mum’s old bike and even got a lift on a vintage hearse.

Companies supported the challenge with Warburton’s and hauliers Eddols and Sons giving her rides on their lorries.

The toughest leg of the trip was when she flew from Birmingham to Bristol on a Ryanair flight via Dublin.

She said: “It was a crazy four days but the support I had was amazing.

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“I had to make sure all the transport connected up along the way, and I funded my accommodation and the flights myself.

“The worst thing was the bear suit stunk by the end! But it was a real adventure and well worth it.”

Karen started planning the journey in January, including getting permission to collection donations at various venues.

She decided to take action after Maureen’s death following a long struggle with lung disease, and chose Dorset as her destination because it was her mum’s favourite place to go on holiday.

She also wanted to raise awareness about the disease.

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