Entries are flooding in for the first ever Soap Box Challenge being held later this year with money raised going towards the My WiSH Charity’s Every Heart Matters appeal.
It’s being staged on Mount Road, in Bury St Edmunds, on Saturday, September 1, with 20 teams competing to be the champion.
If you loved the good old days of making a go-kart from pram wheels and a wooden crate with your mates and would like to recreate those days with an added flair then this could be the event for you or your business.
Various trophies are up for grabs including the Best Soap Box, Best Presentation and the Fastest Time down the course
Brakes must be installed on the soap boxes and organiser are putting in a ramp and chicane to make the dash downhill a little more fun.
It is running from 10am to 2pm and it will be free to watch the daring exploits of the drivers and their passengers as they rush down Mount Road.
It costs £250 per team to enter with all the money raised going to the appeal which is aimed at raising £500,000 to help create a fully integrated cardiac centre at the West Suffolk Hospital.
Paul Rayner, chair of My WiSH Charity’s special events committee said: “We don’t believe Bury has ever had a soapbox challenge and it was something we really wanted to bring to the town. It’s a great way to bring people together and what better team building exercise than building a soapbox. We’ve heard some cracking ideas already so I can’t wait to see what they’ve created on the day.”
The challenge is being sponsored by health and safety firms EL Direct and HS Direct which is based in Kempson Way, on the town’s Moreton Hall Industrial Estate.
Director Barry Dowman said his company is planning to enter a team and added: “I’m keen to see the challenge become a significant calendar event for Bury St Edmunds.
“I have been involved with a soapbox Derby in Surrey before and Red Bull took it over so I’m keen to see this grow as well as raising money for the appeal which is crucial.
“We need this cardiac unit which will benefit the local community.”
The West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust is investing £5.2m in developing a state of the art cardiac suite that will provide quicker access to more treatments, but the £500,000 My WiSH Charity is hoping to raise will lead to the whole unit, which is currently fragmented on different floors, being brought together in one purpose-built centre.
To download a registration form go to the website http://mywishcharity.wsh.nhs.uk/Charity/Events/SoapBoxChallenge.aspx
And if you want to support the Every Heart Matters appeal go to www.mywishcharity.co.uk and if you would like to donate to the appeal you can do so by going to Justgiving.com/ehma or text EHMA17 £10 to 70070.
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