Carronshore fundraising legend George is set for epic Sahara rally bid

A veteran charity fundraiser from Carronshore is teaming up with a “fellow thrill seeker” to take part in a gruelling 18-day Sahara Desert rally in April.
By Roy Beers
Published 9th Feb 2020, 15:16 BST
Updated 9th Feb 2020, 15:51 BST
George, left with co-driver John Henderson back in 2012, when the pair - who took part in a Tuk Tuk (rickshaw) race across Indonesia - had at that time raised more than £100,000 for good causes. This time George's companion will be Bryan Hogg from Gifford, East Lothian.George, left with co-driver John Henderson back in 2012, when the pair - who took part in a Tuk Tuk (rickshaw) race across Indonesia - had at that time raised more than £100,000 for good causes. This time George's companion will be Bryan Hogg from Gifford, East Lothian.
George, left with co-driver John Henderson back in 2012, when the pair - who took part in a Tuk Tuk (rickshaw) race across Indonesia - had at that time raised more than £100,000 for good causes. This time George's companion will be Bryan Hogg from Gifford, East Lothian.

George Rigby (67) says the venture will see him and fellow fundraiser Bryan Hogg drive “4,000 miles in an old banger” (an old Subaru Outback with 118,000 miles on the clock) from South Queensferry to the blistering sands of the Sahara and back.

He has raised a fortune from previous efforts, but this one is particularly special as it’s in aid of Alzheimer’s research - and he lost both his dad and sister to the disease.

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It’s for this reason that he aims to make it his last big charity effort.

He has been raising money for good causes since around 1980, for example swimming hundreds of lengths of a pool at Sullum Voe, climbing Ben Ledi and Ben Nevis three times, and abseiling off buildings in London - and from the Forth Rail Bridge.

He has also taken part in the first half marathon staged in Falkirk-Grangemouth, dived with sharks at Deep Sea World, walked 100km of the Great Wall of Chima and taken part in rickshaw rallies across India and Indonesia - and (in an old banger bought for £500) in vthe Rust2Rome rally.

George hopes generous Falkirk Herald readers will back this last, big adventure by sponsoring the effort via his Justgiving page, which is at https://www.justgiving.com/George-Rigby3He and Bryan are covering all the costs of the trip between them, and all the cash raised will go direct to Alzheimer’s research.

The pair are already well over their original modest target, but given the extra-special dimension to this effort want to raise as much as possible for the charity.