Celebrating 50 years in business, colleagues at Fix Auto Mid Devon walked 50km to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation.
Toby Wood, Steve Gale, John Wiggins and Malcolm Street managed to complete the full distance across Dartmoor from Okehampton to Ivybridge in just under 12 hours, raising upwards of £3,000, while five more colleagues began the march but were advised to withdraw at the half-way point.
Among them was company owner Louise Woolacott, who said, “The trek was absolutely brutal, so I can only applaud the fabulous four who made it all the way to the finish line. We knew it was going to be our toughest charity challenge yet, which is why we choose it to mark our 50th anniversary, but we really didn’t expect the course to be as challenging. The terrain, the warm weather, the steep hills and descents were savage.
“Toby, Steve, John and Malcolm really were like machines, and when they needed an extra boost they were joined by David Sutcliffe of Grove for the final leg.”
Fix Auto Mid Devon was founded in 1970 by Louise’s in-laws, Geoff and Sheila Woolacott. It has since grown to one of the region’s most successful repairers with two sites and 50 colleagues who between them repair about 3,000 vehicles a year.
Louise said: “Being part of a family-owned business that has served an area for more than 50 years is an incredible achievement and it’s one we are extremely proud of. The business actually surpassed that milestone 18 months ago but the pandemic put our celebrations on hold.”
