Prison officer Andy Maxfield from Lancashire, England, is aiming to break a six-year-old Guinness World Record by driving from John O’Groats to Land’s End on a John Deere lawn tractor, while raising money for Alzheimer’s Society.
Andy and his daughter Kathryn are planning to drive non-stop to break the record, which stands at four days and 23 hours.
They will be using a standard 24hp X950R lawn tractor (less the rear collection system and mower deck) and support vehicles provided by John Deere.
The X950R has cruise control and a top road speed of 10mph, and will also be equipped with a GPS tracker to qualify for the record.
The ‘Driving the Distance for Dementia’ challenge is due to set off from John O’Groats at 10am on Tuesday, July 25; the traditional distance by road to Land’s End is 874 miles.
John Deere Limited Turf Division Manager Chris Meacock, Andy and Kathryn Maxfield, and Alzheimer’s Society Regional Community Fundraising Officer Sue Swire
There is a family history of Alzheimer’s, as it affects Andy’s 77-year-old father James and James’ mother Theresa was also diagnosed with the condition.
“I started thinking about fundraising ideas towards the end of last year, when my dad was going downhill quite quickly,” said Maxfield. “It was my birthday in January, so I asked people to make donations to charity instead of giving me presents, and it’s gone on from there.
“I then had the idea of a fundraising ball to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society. Alongside that, because friends and neighbours in the village often take the mickey out of me for being into lawnmowers – I’ve got eight altogether – I just thought it would be appropriate to choose a lawn tractor for the record-breaking attempt.
I asked John Deere, although I don’t have one of their mowers at home, as I know they make quality products and I wanted something to get me from A to B without breaking down!
John Deere Limited Turf Division Manager Chris Meacock added: “Our UK and Ireland employees select a specific charity each year to support with a variety of fundraising activities.
“By coincidence we had chosen Alzheimer’s Society when we were approached by Andy Maxfield to help with the Guinness World Record attempt, so it was very good timing on his part!
“We are delighted to back this very worthy cause and are looking forward to the challenge. In addition to providing the X950R for ‘Driving the Distance for Dementia’, we have offered Andy a new X350R lawn tractor worth over £5000 as a special raffle prize for the family’s charity ball in December.”
