A HAMPSHIRE man is to travel more that 1,200 miles with his seven-year-old daughter in aid of charity.

Ben Metcalfe, chief executive at Landau UK, will be travelling from John O’Groats to Land’s End in a a 1955 Land Rover pickup accompanied by his daughter Hope.

The duo will be raising money for Ellen MacArthur Trust, a charity that helps rebuilds confidence after cancer, using sailing to support, empower and inspire young people between the ages of eight to 24-years-old.

Ben said: “So I accept John O’Groats to Land’s End is not that far.

“In fact, our ‘planned’ route is just a little over 1,200 miles.

“So how can that be an adventure or endurance challenge?

“Well it’s not that I don’t know what either of them necessarily mean, as having completed several desert crossings in a variety of vehicles and been the first Brit to ever complete the Dakar held in Argentina and Peru, I have experienced those moments of adventure and endurance where all seems lost, coupled with sheer exhaustion to the point of hallucination. But as in life, sometimes you have to dig deep and do just one more little bit and then again just one more little bit.

“So, given that, how is this tiny trip not even leaving the UK, endurance?

“Well for a start our vehicle is not built for distance of any sort.

“It’s a 1955 Land Rover pickup showing the test of time and a very hard life.”

Original from Bruxton but now living near Winchester, Ben set up Landau UK 26 years ago.

Ben said that the challenge is to “strengthen the bond between daddy and daughter” and also show Hope the beauty of her surroundings.

He added: “My co driver who will be helping during the inevitable breakdowns and sharing the cab for up to eight hours a day, camping and staying in each other’s space at all times, is my seven-year-old daughter.”

For more details visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/groatslandy.