Hexham churches give blessing to Roy's aid mission

But determined Roy has got back behind the wheel to embark on the same treacherous journey, towing a 40ft box trailer packed full of supplies.

And congregation members of all Hexham's churches gathered at Hexham Abbey for a special service to give Roy their blessings on his challenging trip and wave him off in style.

If the wagon carrying vital medical supplies and educational and hospital equipment gets to its destination, it will be converted into a medical and dental clinic to help the impoverished community.

Roy, of Windsor Crescent, Ovingham, said one of the big differences this time was that he wasn't travelling alone.

He said: "I'll have two volunteers with me this time, which will help.

"Saying that, I have an American volunteer coming with me who is called Britain.

"That is going to cause no end of confusion at border controls where they barely speak English.

"All three of us were very touched by the service and that everyone was giving us their blessings - it was great to be waved off in style.

"I'm excited about the trip, but I'm shattered with all the preparation. We have so much stuff packed in the trailer that if you took it out and lined it up, it would fill an airfield. So, it's taken a lot of time and energy to pack the trailer.

"I've tried to prepare for things that went wrong last time but, if your prepare too much, something else will always crop up.

"I'm not nervous or anything like that. I love doing the trips, and when we get down there we will be able to see the effects of all the work we put in place last time."

Roy and his wife Catherine, 58, run the Hexham-based charity Mercy Trucks, a volunteer humanitarian organisation which has been involved with relief projects around the world for more than 10 years.

This year, Roy won't just be heading to Guinea Bissau - with any left over supplies, he will carry on driving through the rest of West Africa to help other countries.

"We're taking down medical, dental, agricultural, and educational aid and equipment," said Roy. "And then turning the trailer into a medical and dental unit.

"We're not going down there just to set-up our own projects. We want to help other projects already out there, being carried out by locals, by providing them with supplies and support.

"This project wouldn't have been possible without the generous support of many business, a team from Hexham community church and many generous individuals from Tynedale."

Mercy Trucks is always looking for individuals or companies to fund projects.

For information, contact RoyDixon@MercyTrucks.org.