Jeffrey DaBear arrives in style at John O'Groats as part of nationwide biker fundraising tour
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Charity teddy Jeffrey DaBear arrived in style at John O'Groats this morning – as a VIP passenger on a chauffeur-driven trike, with a kilted piper sitting alongside him playing a tune.
The far-travelled furry mascot had been brought over on the Gills ferry by a group of Orkney motorcyclists as part of Jeffrey's Journey, a nationwide tour to help a five-year-old boy who has an incurable illness.
Jeffrey Charlesworth, from Lancashire, has the rare CLN2 Batten disease and needs specialist treatment.
To raise funds for Jeffrey’s family, and to draw attention to the illness, Jeffrey DaBear is being transported around Britain by teams of motorcyclists.
The biker bear had an action-packed week in Orkney, where he went diving, visited a primary school, tried his hand at making jewellery and flew on the world’s shortest scheduled air service between Westray and Papa Westray.
From John O'Groats, he was escorted south by about 20 motorcyclists from Orkney and Caithness with an ice-cream stop planned at Brora. Other bikers from Sutherland, the Inverness area and Moray were expected to join in.
John Clark, from Brora, will be taking Jeffrey DaBear on to Fort William and Dunoon. The ride will culminate with a leg from Blackpool to Accrington on Sunday, October 10.
Money is being collected along the route and each rider is donating £10 to take part.
Jacob Foster and his partner Lucy Leech organised the Orkney section of the tour and Jacob's father John, of the family-run Orkney Trike Tours, was happy to get involved.
Piper Baillie Rorie, a member of Stromness RBL Pipe Band, accompanied John on his trike as they arrived in Groats with the special bear occupying one of the passenger seats.
John Foster said: “We raised about £800 at Jeffrey’s Coffee Extravaganza run by the Stromness Youth Club. The bear himself has done the shortest flight, he's been diving on the wrecks in his own diving suit, he's been working at Ortak, the jewellery company, and he's been to school at Papdale primary. Now he's on his way to Inverness.”
The flight was made possible by Loganair, with Jeffrey DaBear being joined by the regional airline's own mascots Logie and Lottie Bear.
Jacob said he had been determined to help after learning about Jeffrey’s illness through social media.
“I saw it on Facebook – they were appealing for bikers and I just put my name down," he said. "If it wasn't for Lucy, my partner, none of it would have happened. If it wasn't for my dad, again it wouldn't have happened, because Lucy organised the coffee afternoon and my dad organised the diving and all the stuff throughout the week.
“And if it wasn't for John Clark, the bear wouldn't have made it up here – he made it to the boat with minutes to spare.”
John Clark said: “We left this morning to come up and meet these boys. It's going to be wet run on Sunday.
"A lot of people have asked me what Batten disease is, and it's a horrible thing. I just wanted to get involved.”
Jeffrey was diagnosed in May this year after battling with what his family thought was epilepsy for 18 months.
It is estimated that between 30 and 50 children in the UK are affected by the neurodegenerative disorder. Those diagnosed with the illness have a life expectancy of six to 12 years.
Jeffrey will start to lose his sight, his speech, control of his body and the ability to chew and eat. The disease will also cause dementia.
Updates on the fundraising activities can be found on the Jeffrey's Biker Journey Facebook page. Donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/f/jeffreys-battle-with-battens-disease with more than £13,000 having been raised so far.
