QUADS4DEVON, a voluntary group of Quad Riders, set up by Dean Hayward has raised more than £2,000 for Exeter Leukaemia Fund (ELF) by travelling more than 500 miles/50 stops throughout Devon in one week promoting awareness of the Charity.

ELF, with its main support centre based at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, provides much-needed support for leukaemia sufferers and their relatives through counselling, transport and guidance all over the South West.

As well as Dean Haywood, as lead rider, the other three riders were his wife Jayne Hayward (fund collection/admin) from Crediton, John Beaton (Aka Road Hawk) from Axminster and Paul Warren (Support Driver) from Seaton.

Dean Hayward lost his mother to leukaemia last year and wanted to do something/anything to help ELF in return for its endless support for him and his family. He said: “I believe we need to help sufferers of cancer and cancer disorders, through awareness and support for the sufferers and their families.”

At a pre-ride “Meet the Riders” at the Spar Garage in Lapford on May 12 the group raised £261 and the journey itself began at The Farmers’ Union, in Exeter the following day.

At the Hook and Parrot in Seaton they gave locals a ride up and down the seafront on the quads for a small donation and raised £140.

Their journey took them from East Devon, North to Tiverton, Barnstaple, stopping at The Old Station House (Blackmoor Gate) who had raised more than £400 with their monthly profits from bingos and Easter egg hunt. It had been a particularly wet day so they were able to dry off their clothes at the venue.

Fed and watered the group followed the beautiful North Devon coastline before heading through Holsworthy, Tavistock and then into Dartmoor…soaked again and not looking forward to another sleepless night in the tent, Moorcote Country Guest House, in Moretonhampstead put the guys up at short notice …and dried off the rider’s gear once more.

Clean, dry gear gave the group a real surge on to the last couple of legs through to South Hams, Dartmouth, Brixham, Torbay and back up towards the final stop, The Smugglers Inn at Dawlish.

On behalf of the group, Dean thanked all those people who helped along the route.

On May 27 the Quads4Devon group visited the ELF centre at the R D and E to handover the £2,020.20 raised so far to Natalie Searle (ELF Co-ordinator).