The Old Crocks Simpson Desert Charity Fundraiser

Mates4Mates - The Smith Family - Onside - Combat Stress

Worth your support? Read on!

Four men over 60, two vehicles over 30, and a bunch of second-hand equipment into the Simpson Desert: that mesmerizing land of endless dunes, ancient culture, and untamed adventure. That's the challenge! What could possibly go wrong?!

It all began with a simple idea: think up a challenge, do it, attract some attention, and do some good along the way. What better way to spend these "young old" years than embarking on an adventure that is both fun and useful?

What about this vintage Land Rover? Built in the year of our marriage, it’s really an old crock now. Most vehicles this age are polished up and paraded at shows, but what if we took this one, and one like it, across the Simpson Desert in the heart of Australia’s Red Centre?

And not just any route - the toughest of all: the Madigan Line?

We're starting from Brisbane in April 2025. Our route takes us via Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, the Oodnadatta track, Uluru, the MacDonnell Ranges and the final test of the Simpson. Around 10,000 kilometers in 35-year-old vehicles in around 45 days - that's the challenge!

Our theme? 'Brightening the future'.

Our aim is to raise money to give light to those in a darker space. Sadly, we all have those in our community. So we’ve focused on four that mean something to us personally.

Two focus on children and young people, because they are our future - for our planet (- and not just for our retirement homes!).

• Onside builds state-of-the-art, multimillion-pound Youth Zones in the UK’s most economically disadvantaged areas. For every £1 ($2) raised, there’s a return of over £13 ($26) of social value in young people’s wellbeing. Feeling ‘free to have fun, to feel safe and to feel confident in themselves’.

• The Smith Family helps young Australians to overcome educational inequality caused by poverty. Just $58 (£29) a month can provide a child with school essentials; stationery, backpacks, shoes, a uniform, school books and funds for a school excursion.

Two focus on veterans, because they are our past.

• Mates4Mates actively changes the lives of current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members and families, impacted by service. $49 (£25) can connect a veteran with a Liaison Officer who will guide them to reconnect and recover.

• Combat Stress delivers specialist treatment for UK veterans with complex mental health needs, whilst supporting their families and network, to help them tackle the past and take on their future. £82 ($164) funds a 1:1 session for a veteran with a mental health nurse to help them with a range of different issues.

We also aim to brighten your future – or more realistically day – by sharing the highs, lows, and everything in between through our blog (hosted here on the Disaster Lessons Factory website)

Our ultimate goal? $87,000.

How do we get that? We want to help 100 children and 100 veterans. How do you put a price on that? Impossible. But let's say that we use the Smith Family estimate to look after 100 children for a year - that's $69,600. And say we support 100 veteran sessions with a mental health nurse at Combat Stress rates- that's $16,400. So $87,000 is our target.

The trip itself is entirely self-funded, with participants already among the first donors. Whatever we get (less the GoFundMe transaction costs) goes equally four ways between the four charities. They will know best how to distribute it.

Join us as we take on this ambitious venture, because when it comes to brightening lives, every little bit helps!