A SCOOTER enthusiast from Barry who has raised thousands of pounds for charity by completing long-distance rides on his Vespa GTS 250 is preparing for his latest challenge.
Jason Ude, 54, will attempt to make a 1,560-mile round trip from Barry to Benalmadena, southern Spain in just 10 days in aid of Dementia UK.
At 4pm on Monday 24th March, Jason will leave King Square, Barry and head to Portsmouth, where he will board a ferry to Santander in northern Spain. From there, he will travel to Madrid, and the following day he will continue south to Benalmadena.
Following two days of rest, Jason will embark on the return journey, stopping off in Madrid and Burgos and, after taking a ferry back to Portsmouth, he aims to reach King Square on Thursday, 3rd April at 4pm.
For more than a decade, Jason has used his passion for scooters as a way of raising money for good causes, including Breast Cancer Now, Welsh Air Ambulance, Help For Heroes, Sarcoma UK and the Throat Cancer Foundation, but he says that Dementia UK is a cause that is especially important to him at the moment: “Older members of my family have died with dementia, but my cousin’s husband, Rob, has recently been put into a care home due to the condition and he’s only 60.
“As his dementia progressed, it became too hard for his wife to look after him at home and he now requires specialist care. I’ve known Rob all my life and we’ve always been close. I go and visit him regularly and it’s very upsetting to see the way he is now.
“I want to do something positive for Rob so I’m going to take on this scooter challenge from Barry to Benalmadena and back to raise money for Dementia UK. The charity does really important research and while there’s no quick fix, I hope that in time, a way can be found to prevent this cruel, horrible illness,” he said.
Among Jason’s earlier charity scooter runs was a 24 hour ‘lap of Wales’ in 2015, where he covered 13 towns in a single day on a 521-mile circuit to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
In May 2023, Jason was greatly saddened when his childhood friend Richy Tutton died suddenly in his sleep hours after a scooter convention in Rhoose. Along with his love of scooters, Richy was known for his commitment and dedication to Barry Dock RNLI, where he started as a volunteer in 1999 before going full-time in 2002.
Last February, to honour Richy’s memory and to raise money for the RNLI, Jason completed the London Orbital Scooter Challenge, which saw him travel from Cardiff West services to London, where he completed a lap of the M25 before embarking on the return journey in seven hours and 30 minutes, allowing short breaks for fuel stops and refreshments.
Several weeks later, Jason’s fundraising efforts were recognised with a special presentation at RNLI Barry Dock Lifeboat Station where he was given a tour of the building and was shown around the new Shannon class £2.5 million all-weather lifeboat, which arrived the previous weekend.
In July, Jason embarked on his toughest challenge to date when he made a 4,057.6-mile round trip from Barry to Istanbul, Turkey in nine days to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.
Jason says the local community has given him tremendous support in his fundraising ventures: “All of the causes I raise money for are connected to me in some way, whether it’s through a family member or a friend who’s been affected by the condition.
“I grew up in Barry and I’m proud to call the town my home. It’s a generous, warm and friendly community. The last few years have been hard for lots of people with the cost of living, but time and again we’ve raised thousands of pounds for important causes.
“The cost of fuel for my scooter means I depend on support from businesses and community groups to make these challenges happen, so I’m grateful to the Vale Scooter Collective, Edwards and Ross Pallets and O’Neill Signs for all they’ve done for me.
“I kindly ask that people donate whatever they can afford to my latest scooter challenge, and you’re very welcome to come to King Square to wave me off on 24 March,” he said.
Donations can be made by visiting Jason Ude’s Facebook page and clicking on the link.
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