A Shropshire teenager is appealing to vintage vehicle owners to join her on a classic convoy to raise money for a charity that’s close to her heart.
Clara’s Classic Convoy on September 29th starts and finishes at Netley Hall, in Dorrington, near Shrewsbury, taking in a 30-mile scenic route. Clara, with mum Lisa-Jayne, dad Andrew and brother George, will lead the convoy in their vintage vehicles Gertrude and Mabel.
Clara Powis, who is now aged 16, has raised more than £30,000 for Hope House children’s hospice, in memory of her childhood friend Maya. Maya was born with a life-threatening condition and received care at Hope House until she died in 2015.
Since the age of eight, Clara has thrown herself into hosting charity balls and cake sales, a colour party, collected donations at Theatre Severn and Shrewsbury Folk Festival, taken part in runs and organised raffles and auctions galore, all in Maya’s memory. This will be the second Clara’s Classics Convoy event and this year it will be started by special guest George McLeod and his family as part of their fundraising for Hope House.
She’s managed to organise the convoy on top of starting at college, embarking on her Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition and residential, and being nominated for a BBC Radio Shropshire Make a Difference Award.
She says: “Last year’s convoy was so successful that we knew we had to do it again. There were 50 vehicles and we raised around £3,000. It was a great atmosphere and lots of people enjoyed it and said they’d like to do it again.
“It’s a 32-mile route starting and finishing at Netley Hall, taking in villages of Cressage and Wroxeter and stopping off at Attingham Park’s Home Farm. All we ask is for vehicles to be classic, agricultural, quirky or vintage.
“We have a Green Goddess fire engine called Gertrude and a Morris 1000 named Mabel, which will be leading the procession.”
Clara has a tractor licence so she may even drive her own vehicle on the day!
Mum Lisa-Jayne is extremely proud of her daughter and was the one who nominated her for the Make a Difference Award. Clara has been invited to attend a celebration afternoon tea on September 20th.
Of Clara’s motivation, she says: “Clara wanted to do something in memory of her friend, Maya. She held her first event, a Charity Masked Ball, when she was just eight.”
“She’s gone on to organise further balls, organised Eat Cake & Drink Cocktails, and all sorts of other charity events for Hope House. She has persuaded the rest of us to fundraise too, her brother completed a sky dive and Clara shaved my head!
“We are so proud of Clara, and her incredible resilience and determination. To lose someone so close so young had a major impact on her, but to see how she’s turned heartbreak into something so positive is just extraordinary.”
Vehicles and supporters are invited to turn up on the day for Clara’s Classic Convoy at Netley Hall. Joining costs £15 for vehicle and driver, and £5 per passenger, which includes a hot drink and a sausage bap. Check in starts from 8.30am, with vehicles leaving at 10am. For more details the contact number is 07803242455 or the Facebook group is @clara’sclassicconvoy
Clara has also organised a charity raffle with amazing prizes including a spa day for two at the Malvern Spa Hotel, a gin distillery tour, vouchers for Jump In, an Ironbridge Gorge Museum pass and goodies from Next and Tesco.
Fundraiser Bekki Fardoe praised Clara for her remarkable commitment to raising money and organising events.
She said: “Clara is simply amazing! To have raised over £30,000 at the age of 16 is phenomenal, and we congratulate her on her Make A Difference Award fundraising award, which couldn’t have gone to a more deserving person.
“We have no doubt that Clara’s Classic Convoy will be another hugely successful event. The huge amount of money that Clara has raised enables our care, support and nursing teams to make a significant difference to the lives of children and families who come to the hospice for respite care, therapies and family counselling and support. Thank you, Clara.”
You can support Clara’s continued fundraising in memory of Maya via JustGiving.
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