Three men from southern England will spend a couple of days driving a tractor from John O’Groats to Land’s End next month to raise awareness and funds for international charity Meningitis Research Foundation. The team includes Hampshire-based farm manager Ryan Boisclair (Park Farm), who will share the driving of the Valtra-sponsored tractor with friends Simon Sinclair (Valtra sales executive) and James Bentley (Park Farm). Ryan’s partner, Rebecca Marsden, will be hot on their heels for the entire journey in the support vehicle. Rebecca contracted meningitis when she was 16 years old in 1998 and thankfully survived and her daughter Darcey also contracted and survived meningitis in October 2014 when she was 2 years old.  The Tractorthon will begin on the A99 John O’Groat’s on June 11, and then follow the A9 Inverness/Edinburgh, A1 South Shields, A19 York, A1 Peterborough, A45 Northampton, A43 Oxford, A34 Winchester, A303 Exeter, A30 Penzance, Land’s End. “We are so grateful to Valtra who are sponsoring us and paying to get the tractor to John O’Groats for the set off and to Barons of Hindhead (BMW) for providing and sponsoring our support vehicle,” said Becky. “We hope to raise awareness of meningitis on route as well as collect donations along the way and hope as many people as possible will support us.” CEO Vinny Smith of Meningitis Research Foundation said: “We are extremely grateful to Darcey’s parents Becky and Ryan for organising Tractorthon2016 in aid of us. Every penny they raise from this tractor challenge will make a huge difference in our fight against this terrible disease.” To sponsor Tractorthon 2016 visit their online donation page: www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Marsden4MeningitisResearchFoundation or text HWTH72 £2 to 70070