AN OKEHAMPTON resident will be part of a two-man team undertaking a mammoth bus trip from Land's End to John O'Groats and back, using only registered bus services from July 15 to 30.
Richard Stedall, 39, will join fellow bus enthusiast 54-year-old Alan Moore from London on the 1,500-mile return trip.
Both men will be raising money for educational projects funded by Oxfam, including a newly built or rebuilt school classroom and enough stock for a school library.
Along the way, Richard and Alan's friends and families will be hopping on board to join the pair on part of their journey, to lend their support and help raise more money.
In addition to the bus trek, there are other fundraising events planned.
The route will see the travellers head up the west side of England into south west Scotland.
A game of 'hopscotch' up the Western Isles on the connecting buses and ferries will eventually see the team arrive in Durness in the far north west of Scotland.
A run along the north coast, using the twice-a-month bus service, will see the pair reach the halfway point of their journey at John O'Groats.
They will make their way back, heading south via Inverness, Aberdeen and Edinburgh, going over the border into England and eventually reach the Medway towns in Kent by the end of day 13.
They will travel along the south coast until they reach Land's End on day 16, July 30, before continuing on to Richard's home in Okehampton to finish the trip.
They have already gained support from various bus companies who have offered free travel on some routes. The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has also supported the trip.
The trip will also champion public transport as the two men want to celebrate and encourage more people to use bus services to get around.
Richard said: 'The first thing that people say when I tell them about this trip is that it can't be done. A lot of people I've spoken to have negative perceptions about public transport and would only think of using trains. We want to change that and prove that buses are a great way to travel around the UK.
'Travelling by bus is a very valid option, especially these days with increasing fuel costs, and people should seriously consider using buses more — before it is too late.'
Richard was also inspired to take the trip in memory of his sister, Heather, who was also an Oxfam supporter until she sadly died in 2009, aged just 30.
The initial fundraising target was £2,129 to buy a classroom and library but Richard and Alan have now more than doubled their target to £5,000 and hope to raise even more.