THE community has rallied around Alloa Round Table as members took to the road in banger cars for a charity challenge.

Two teams from Clacks, with a total of seven members, joined in with like-minded clubs from across the UK this month to successfully complete the Skinflint Rally.

The event, which previously took participants to Europe, is organised by Coventry Round Table and was held in the UK only this year due to travel restrictions.

With fundraising efforts hampered through the Covid-19 pandemic, it was an opportunity for Alloa Round Table to make up for lost time and the Clacks group has raised more than £3,600 in the process so far.

As always, the Round Table will use the funds to support causes close to the heart and close to home.

The event, which started on September 9, was a coast-to-coast run from Whitehaven to Newcastle, taking in North Coast 500 and John o' Groats.

Teams entered with 'banger' cars they had to purchase for less than £500 with extra points decorations.

It was a challenging drive with around 1,400 miles completed in a few days with eight-hour driving stints for team members.

John Dornan, chairman of Alloa Round Table, told the Advertiser that the team did not quite appreciate just how much endurance it would take, but everyone had fun along the way, meeting like minded people and raising money.

Two teams entered from Alloa, one in a Renault Clio which was picked up for £450.

John said with some laughter: “So we had £50 left over to spend on decoration, the driver opted to go for an Italian flag with 'Football's gone to Rome' – just to wind up the English contingent of the race. That was quite funny.”

The other car from Alloa was a Honda CRV, which came in at the same price and was turned into a tank with machine guns welded on as well as a hole cut in the roof to create a turret with a hatch.

John said: “We got a Nerf gun, we were popping out the hatch and shooting the other cars when we were stopping at petrol stations and stuff like that. It was a lot of fun.”

There were plenty antics along the way and after the rally, both cars were then sold within a day of advertising.

The CRV 'tank' was bought by a team undertaking a similar event while some say the Clio can still be seen delivering takeaways around Dunblane with the livery kept as is.

The money raised will support causes such as Love in a Box Clacks, with John and the team issuing a big nod of thanks to people and businesses who supported the effort.

Supporting businesses included SMS Alloa, AHC tools, Party People Event Hire, Inglewood House and Spa, The Flower Studio, MR Joinery, Eurocell, Precision Windows & Doors, Hillfoots Homes and Wylie & Bisset.

John added: “Without the support we simply couldn’t have accomplished this.”

To support the fundraiser, visit bit.ly/39bta9g.