East Coast truckers all set for the off

28 August 2009

The lorries have been cleaned and polished and the truckers and their passengers are about to hit the road.

This Sunday, more than 80 trucks will rev up and roll out of Norwich with the East Coast Truckers' annual convoy.

Up high and in the cab with the drivers will be disabled children from all over East Anglia, for whom this is a unique treat and the highlight of their summer.

Hannah Stoner, spokesman for the convoy, said the trucks would gather at County Hall, in Norwich, at 8am on Sunday before getting into gear and pulling out at 10am with their passengers. "Thousands come to wave us off and then line the route as we make our way to Pleasurewood Hills theme park," she said.

"We have lunch there and the drivers take the children on the rides. We leave at 5pm and then make our way to Marine Parade, in Yarmouth, which is one of the highlights of the day for the children.

"They love the fact that so many people line the route. Last year there were 30,000."

The East Coast Truckers is an East Anglian-based charity run by volunteers that aims to "deliver loads of fun to special children".

The group was originally set up back in 1981 with the aim of fighting for its members' rights to use CB radios.

When usage of the radios was legalised two years later, the East Coast Truckers decided to start fundraising instead, to give disabled children some fun.

In 1986, the convoy was started - an event that has gone from strength to strength every year since then.

Hannah said some roads on the route would be closed on Sunday and all the truckers apologised to drivers for any disruption they might face.

But she hoped they would stop and wave to the children as they passed.

"This is such a big day for them. Some 80pc of those going on Sunday have not been before," she said.

"The children are aged between five and 16 and come from right across East Anglia.

"They are nominated by their parents or carers and some travel with them. Others are on their own but most of them have met the trucker they are travelling with before the day itself."

The children all receive a T-shirt and goody bag at the end of the day, as well as a present from their driver.

"It is such a wonderful day. We are all really looking forward to it," she said. "Everyone has such a good time. This is a day for the children ands we hope lots of people will come out to support us."

For more information or for details of the route visit www.ect-charity.co.uk

For a full round up and picture special from the event see Monday's Eastern Daily Press.