A TROON resident has broken his fundraising targets for an animal shelter following a charity bike ride through Thailand.

Colin McDermott has so far raised £2509.42 for the Worldwide Veterinary Service dog shelter in Thailand, cycling 900km from capital city Bangkok through to Chiang Mai.

The amount raised has continued to increase following the end of the event on the 9th of January.

He had previously joined his wife, Inga (a vet), in Thailand in 2016, on her second trip to volunteer for the WVS, with this visit being the first time that he had a proper volunteering role.

WVS, an international animal welfare charity stationed in Dorset, administers free veterinary care, resources and training worldwide. In an average year, the organisation grants care to 150,000 animals across the globe.

In addition to the Thailand shelter, WVS are responsible for an International Training Centre, situated next door, where their life-saving care is provided, as well as running training courses for Thai vets.

Although this was not a profession he had originally seen himself entering, Colin was surprised to discover the rewarding aspect of working with the shelter animals. He vowed to return again and raise both funds and awareness of the vital work that the WVS carries out.

Writing on his JustGiving page, he said: “Anyone who knows me knows full well I don’t do things by half measures, and since my marathon legs were starting to fail me, I thought I would turn my hand to cycling.

“So who needs a plane, a bus or a train to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai? Not me!”

Colin was not alone in his journey, however - fellow animal lover Matt Backhouse joined the effort after discovering a post on the WVS Facebook page detailing Colin’s challenge.

In addition to fundraising by Colin and Matt themselves, the journey was sponsored by local businesses, including The Bicycle Room, BCI, Future Proof Learning, and more. 

Their cycle began on January 2.
The pair travelled from Bangkok, passing through Ayutthaya, Nakhon Sawan, Sukhothai and Ban Tuek, before arriving in Hang Dong in Chiang Mai on the 9th. The men were well supported by Ian Clarke, a member of staff at the shelter’s behavioural training centre, ‘New Hope’.

Upon finishing his cycle last Monday, Colin had voiced his intention to stay at the shelter for a further three weeks for volunteering purposes. Here, he will care for the dogs who are currently in residence at the shelter.

Recalling his success, Colin said: “It’s been absolutely epic! It has been such an amazing journey and now I am so grateful to be spending a few weeks volunteering at the WVS dog shelter and assisting with all the great work being done here.”

He continued: “Challenges are not meant to be easy but I [knew] I [would] have a couple oh hundred happy dogs smiling back at me in Hang Dong on the 9th January.”

So, what will the money raised be used for?
Colin continues: “We’ll be spending the next couple of weeks looking into the best way to spend the funds. There is a new shelter in the process of being built so I would expect a large chunk will go towards this and perhaps improving the current shelter, but no decision has been made as yet.”

Emma Harrison, Marketing Manager from WVS, said: “We couldn’t be more proud of Colin and Matt’s achievements, to undertake any fundraising challenge in order to raise money for WVS is amazing but Colin and Matt took this to another level by cycling 900km from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

“Their commitment, determination and enthusiasm to achieve and fundraise their fundraising goal is fantastic and we are so thankful and grateful for the money and awareness raised.”

If you would like to donate to Colin’s JustGiving page, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bangkoktochiangmai.