At least 256 vintage tractors took part
A fantastic £21,235.00 raised for Patchwork Farm at Chailey Heritage Foundation
First time the National Vintage Tractor Road Run was held in East Sussex
The National Vintage Tractor Road Run (NVTRR) took place on Easter Sunday, 31st March 2024. The circular route travelled across the picturesque South Downs from Plumpton College with on and off-road elements encompassing the national park and sea views. A challenging but rewarding drive with some steep sections, good brakes were a must!
The NVTRR was a community event which raised £21,235.00 for Patchwork Farm, a therapeutic care farm, specially designed to allow the young people on-site at Chailey Heritage Foundation a unique, hands-on, multi-sensory experience with a number of different animals.
Will Cranfield, Co-Chair, NVTRR 2024 says;
"SEVAC were very excited to host the NVTRR 2024. It had been a good few years since it had been in this area of the country. It was certainly a rewarding challenge for the club, and we would encourage anyone interested in taking on the challenge of a future NVTRR to get in touch.
It was a fantastic opportunity to show the public and the wider vintage tractor community what SEVAC and Sussex have to offer, whilst also raising money for such a worthy cause. An event that we will all look back at fondly in years to come. Thank you to all those involved."
Will Folkes, Director of Specialist Services and Income, Chailey Heritage Foundation says:
“I would like to thank SEVAC and all who took part in the National Vintage Tractor Road Run for this fantastic donation on behalf of all the young people at Chailey Heritage Foundation. The amazing total, of well over £21k, will help Patchwork Farm deliver a wide range of benefits for months to come. The SEVAC team put literally years of effort into what was a brilliant weekend, and we are incredibly grateful for their invaluable support!”
Facts about the event:
· After several years of planning and one year of promoting we had 292 tractors registered for the run with at least 256 of them leaving the start on time and a few late stragglers tacking on the end.
· A few did not complete the run and turned back on the first hill and a handful took advantage of a piggyback from the recovery team.
· About 100 tractors had arrived on the Friday and Saturday, with another 150 due to arrive on the Sunday.
· The weather on Sunday was cold and overcast – a marked contrast to Saturday. Thankfully the cloud lifted, and the sun appeared to ensure our guests got to see the glorious Sussex countryside at its very best.
· The honour of leading the run was given to Cameron Kemp on his Nuffield Universal 3 who was flanked on one side by his mum (Marian) on her Fordson Major E1A and the other side by his Dad (Bryn) on his McCormick International B450.
· Following the Kemps, another 250 or so tractors then proceeded West from Plumpton College before almost immediately turning left for the first climb up the South Downs.
· Tractor number 38 (Harvey Lee) celebrated his 38th birthday on the run.
· It was amazing to see so many tractors of all different makes and sizes. The smallest was a little Zetor MT8 and the largest was a Case MX135 – with everything in between.
· The furthest travelled was from Stirlingshire (near Glasgow). Seven others came from Scotland (Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire, and Kirkcudbrightshire).
· From Wales we had attendees from Glamorgan, Powys and Pembrokeshire.
· There were:
o 123 from East Sussex
o 26 from West Sussex
o 24 from Kent
o 15 from Surrey
· The furthest south came from Cornwall and the Isle of Wight.
· Many others came from Berkshire, Bristol, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Oxfordshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire and Warwickshire.
· Overall we had 30 counties represented.
· Tractor makes (totals from those early enough to be entered into the programme):
o Massey Ferguson 60
o Fordson 51
o Ferguson 22
o International 22
o Ford 21
o Nuffield 14
o David Brown 13
o John Deere 10
o Plus several other smaller makes
· It is safe to say everyone enjoyed the spectacular Sussex views and the variety of route we provided. Feedback commented on the warm and welcoming atmosphere, well-marshalled, well-organised, splendid evening meal, charity auction and live band the night before.
· The total raised for Charity Heritage Foundation Patchwork Farm was announced at the SEVAC AGM on Friday 26th April and the cheque was presented by the 2024 NVTRR subcommittee on Sunday 28th April to Will Folkes and team at Chailey Heritage Foundation. (Photo link provided below).
For press enquiries please contact
Caz Pike (SEVAC Committee - Marketing and Communications Support)
Telephone: 07540 464235, Email: sevacnews@yahoo.com
Media spokespeople
Will Cranfield, NVTRR 2024 Co-Chair, SEVAC Committee Member
Steve Pike, NVTRR 2024 Committee, SEVAC Chairman
Comments