STAFF at a van accessory firm have completed an epic 2000-mile drive across Europe in cars purchased for under £250 to support a charity that focuses on

deprivation and disadvantage in our communities.

The journey was completed in just four days by the group from Whitebox, which is based at Marlborough Road, Lancing.

The company hopes to raise £2,000 for the Sussex Community Foundation, an organisation which raises funds for and makes grants to charities and community groups in Sussex and Brighton and Hove.

Director Mark Cropley and Tom King drove a 1999 Peugeot 306 while Jodie Rogers and Sherelee Pace were in their 2004 Ford KA.

Mark said: "Our aim was to complete the challenge in the quickest time using the least amount of fuel. The first destination was Dover, catching the sailing to Calais.

"After leaving Calais the two teams met up in Ruyaulcourt, France, to visit the World War One military cemetery where my great uncle was buried

"My mother had done a lot of research and found that my great uncle, Sergeant Albert Chapman, was buried here after he was killed in the battle of the Somme, nearly 100 years ago.

"It was very emotional finding his grave and all the young men buried there, many of them only in their late teens."

The next stop for the first night stopover was Lyon, 600 miles away.

Mark added: "After arriving at the campsite at 8pm the teams had our first challenge to see who could put up their tent the fastest, in the dark. The girls won adding a one-hour penalty to the boys.

"The next morning we headed for a campsite near Milan, Italy. We met in Nice, South of France to regroup and took a drive around the famous Monaco F1 circuit.

"We stopped in the beautiful Italian town of Imperia for a quick dip in the Mediterranean and we finally arrived at the campsite around 10pm.

"On day three we headed for the Swiss Alps for an incredible drive across the San Gottardo pass, one of the top ten roads to drive in the world.

"Then onward to the third and final stopover in Lembech, France. and the final day was the drive home, going through France, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium before returning to the UK."

Director Jodie Rogers said: "We were hoping to stop in Dunkirk but it was the day of the French blockades in Calais, people were protesting about the Calais Jungle."

The entire trip was filmed by Dariusz Starosciak from Punchy Pictures and will be made into a documentary.

Visit https://youtu.be/rw4XBg7yrmw for more information.