HMP
Kirkham prison officer Andy Maxfield from Inskip in Lancashire is aiming to
become a double world record holder this month, by breaking the Guinness World
Record for pushing a walk-behind lawnmower as far as possible in 24 hours.
The record attempt will take place on Saturday 22nd June at Ewood Park football stadium in Blackburn, Lancashire, the home
of his beloved Blackburn Rovers Football Club.
In July
2017 Andy Maxfield achieved a world record by driving a John Deere X750 lawn
tractor from John O'Groats to Land's End, a distance of 874.3 miles, in five
days, eight hours and 45 minutes. Not content with one record, Andy is
now embarking on his second challenge, ‘Football United against Dementia’, once
again raising money for Alzheimer's Society.
The
current walk-behind mower record stands at 57.6 miles (92.71km), but Andy is
hoping he can beat that with a John Deere R40 pedestrian lawnmower supplied by
the company’s dealer Balmers GM in Burnley. This is a standard push
petrol mower, with a 40cm cutting width, Briggs & Stratton motor and tough
polypropylene deck.
“I had a
John Deere ride-on mower for the John O’Groats to Land’s End journey and it
never missed a beat, so a John Deere walk-behind for the lawnmower challenge
seemed the obvious choice,” says Andy. “It’s not the mower I’m concerned
about. I’m definitely going to need my go-faster trainers to maintain the
pace!”
After the record attempt Balmers GM is donating the mower to be raffled
in a further boost for Andy’s fundraising for Alzheimer’s Society. The raffle
will be drawn on the John Deere stand on Thursday 11th July at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate.
As a keen
football fan, Andy is contacting football clubs around the country asking for
their
support.
“My fundraising target is £9200, which might seem an unusual amount but there
are
92 league
football clubs in England and Wales and of course the existing record is just
over 92km. Football fans are generous as well as competitive. It would be
fantastic to see a wide and diverse range of teams – even from across the world
– visiting my JustGiving page (www.justgiving.com/fundraising/MowerMan)
and leaving messages of support.”
Simon Phillips, general manager of Balmers GM, adds that the company is
delighted to be helping Andy. “Initially we were asked to lend him a lawnmower,
but when the idea of a raffle was mentioned, we were happy to step up and
donate it. We will give the mower a service between the record attempt on 22nd June and the draw on our stand at the Great Yorkshire Show in July, so
it will be good as new!”
Alzheimer’s Society is a charity close to Andy’s heart. His
father suffered from Alzheimer’s for 13 years and sadly passed away on 1st Jan 2018, unaware of Andy’s record breaking
journey from John O’Groats to Land’s End.
Sue Swire,
community fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society in Cumbria & Lancashire, adds:
“This is another amazing challenge by Andy to raise money for Alzheimer’s
Society and unite against dementia. Dementia devastates lives, but dementia
won’t win. Funds from this record attempt will help us move a step closer to a
world without this cruel disease.”
Alzheimer’s Society is available for anyone affected by
dementia and there are lots of ways the charity can help – for details call the
National Dementia Helpline on 0300 222 1122 or visit www.alzheimers.org.uk.
