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Rust2Rome – putting a new twist on student travel?

Most students will spend their summer taking a break from their studies and many will look for ways to spend it travelling, preferably at as low a cost as possible, but photography student Luke Bennett and three others are putting a new twist on this. The 'Action' team are spending part of their summer break driving from Edinburgh to Rome in a rust bucket and recording the event on camera. They will be joining a convoy of 10 to 12 cars, none of which is worth more than £250, on the two week, 4,000 mile, trip from Scotland to Italy – this is Rust2Rome!

What is Rust2Rome?
Rust2Rome is a £250 budget car rally from Edinburgh to Rome; its key aim is to raise money for the CHAS charity (Children's Hospice Association Scotland) but they also aim to have good time and enjoy the drive. Marko Fleming, who organises and runs Rust2Rome, was inspired to create the event after his first solo drive to Rome in a 1982 Ford Capri he had done up himself. The first rally was in 2005 and the event has continued each year since.

The 'Action' team, not just driving
Luke Bennett is a member of the 'Action' team, along with Sam Hoyle, Thomas Barnfield and Matt Hunter, each taking on a role as 'driver', 'co-pilot' or 'passenger'. Luke and Sam, both photography students, have an additional role as official photographers, documenting each major section of the event and interviewing participants along the way. They see the trip as valuable for their photography degrees, allowing them to put their skills into practice.

Luke will also be raising money for his chosen charity, MIND, the Mental Health Charity working to improve the lives of people with mental health problems, a very valuable cause that is sadly often treated as a bit of a Cinderella. None of us can ever know when we might be affected by a mental health issue, either ourselves or because a loved one is affected, it's something we prefer not to think about. Luke is hoping to raise as much money as possible and to raise awareness of the work that MIND does. Any donation would be greatly appreciated, so if you feel you can help simply go to the following website: www.justgiving.com/lukebennett – where you can make a donation online.

The road to Rome
Starting in Prince's Street, Edinburgh on the 1st of June 2008, the route will take the teams to Dover, where they will get the ferry to Calais. They will then go through France, stopping off in Paris, and then head to Monaco. From there the teams will drive down the West coast of Italy and then head inland to Rome.

Team backgrounds
Luke Bennett is a Photography and Film student at Napier University; he has just come to the end of his second year of study. At the age of 21 he has had a lot of travelling experience, firstly on a gap year round the world trip and then travelling round Spain. He is a keen travel photographer and also enjoys extreme sports and adventures. He sees the trip as an amazing opportunity to get some interesting images as well as a great opportunity to raise money for MIND.

Sam Hoyle has just completed his third year at Napier University studying Photography, Film and Imaging. He is the second member of the Photography team and with his experience and knowledge we will get some documentary photos so the trip can be explored by others in future years. Sam is also a keen traveller having spent a lot of time in North America, and with South Korea on his list this year. Sam is also raising money for a charity; Project Harar Ethiopia which specialises in facial reconstructive surgery in the poorest areas of Ethiopia. Donations can be submitted here: www.justgiving.com/samhoyle

Thomas Barnfield is studying construction management at Leeds University. He has a keen interest in cars and will be one of the main drivers.

Matt Hunter has just completed his 1st year at Napier studying Business and Management, he will also be doing a lot of the driving.

Follow up article
See our follow up article here and learn how the teams got on.

Text © Travel-quest 2008, Photos © Rust2Rome 2008