Draw on our car!

Graffiti marks send a shiver up most car owners' spines but at the end of August three local drivers will tell kids, "please - draw on our car!"

Stratford area residents Natalie Rawlings, Chris Townsend and Carl Pappenheim will be turning Evesham children loose on the bodywork of their Volvo on 31st August as part of a charity drive before they take part in a "banger rally" to Italy next month.

"It's not really a race," said Pappenheim, 26. "The route is set and we have four days to get to Naples from Calais. The only rule is your car has to be worth £100 or less so for most people it will be a miracle just to finish! Some take the opportunity to paint their vehicle a crazy colour but we're going one further with permanent pens and a large gang of children. There will be a strict age limit of course: anyone over 80 will be banned from climbing on the roof."

In the wake of the Samaritans' highly successful 24:7 awareness campaign, the trio have decided to make them their nominated charity. "Everyone goes through rough times at some point," said Pappenheim. "It's good to know there's somebody there who will listen, no matter what." Evesham does not have a branch of its own so the cash is going to Stratford-upon-Avon branch, where calls are likely to be routed.


The car decoration will take place at Evesham Adventure Playground, Woodlands (behind Morrisons, just off the A46). A registered charity, the playground provides 'open access' play to local children. Evesham Adventure Playground Association was set up by a group of local volunteers in 1982 and has developed into a wide-reaching project, facilitating the growth of a number of community initiatives while still prioritizing the needs of local children.

The decoration runs all afternoon from noon until 7pm on the 31st August and qualified Playground staff will be on hand to help things run smoothly. The car will be pre-divided into 5" squares which automotive artists can buy for £2.50 a go - pens provided. All proceeds will be split between the Playground and Stratford-upon-Avon Samaritans.

Web links:
www.staples2naples.com
www.adventureplayground.org
www.samaritans.org