A FORMER Okehampton resident will be touring 6,000 miles around India on a motorcycle to raise funds for LEPRA, the leprosy and poverty relief charity. Conrad de Courcy, who now lives in Thailand, will be setting off on his epic trek in November from Delhi on board a secondhand Royal Enfield Bullets 350 motorcycle, accompanied by his friend Ralph Kramer. Mr de Courcy, who was born in southern India, had lived in Okehampton since he was ten years old. He ran a motor engineering business for more than ten years until becoming a professional photographer specialising in documentary and architectural work. Speaking about the journey, Mr de Courcy said: ?It?s likely to be a tough and demanding trip which will take us up to the Kashmir border in the far north, through the deserts of Rajasthan in the west, down the east coast and back up to Delhi via Goa.? But this is not the first time he has been involved with LEPRA, which operates in nine of the world?s poorest countries. A few years ago he made a film about leprosy in the sub-continent with former Blue Peter presenter Valerie Singleton, where they gathered images to help raise awareness of the work done by the charity. Mr de Courcy, who will be marking his 60th birthday on the trip with visits to some of LEPRA?s projects, added: ?Leprosy is something that many people associate with the Dark Ages in England. ?The fact that it still affects huge numbers of people in the 21st century makes it all the more important to eradicate. ?I shall be making a comprehensive photographic diary during the journey. The best resulting images will be on a special CD and be offered for sale with a proportion of the proceeds going to LEPRA.? Anyone who would like to make a donation to LEPRA, visit Mr de Courcy?s website, http://www.justgiving.com/conraddecourcy">www.justgiving.com/conraddecourcy
