[ d u n g c a r t d o t c o m ]A place for the stuff that leaks out of my head

On The Trail from duncmc via flickr.

Something a little different to the stuff I normally post. At 6.45pm tonight the Hull Freedom Trail left Victoria Square in Hull for the city’s twin town Freetown in Sierra Leone. The mission is to deliver five 4×4 vehicles to aid agencies working there to reunite victims of human trafficking, many of them children, with their families. In the process they also hope to raise awareness of modern day slavery.

This is vehicle L200 Number 4 “Hannah More” (each of the vehicles is named after a famous abolitionist). The journey will last three weeks and takes the trailblazers down through Europe, via Gibralter to north Africa. Across northern Sahara and down the west coast of Africa to Sierra Leone. Each of the five vehicles is manned by local people – some from the business community, some are specialists (medics, mechanics, etc.) and some are young people from some of the more deprived areas of Hull.

That‘s my wife looking out of the rear passenger window. She is on the trip as a nominated driver and one of official photographers. So for the next three weeks I wil be fending for myself as a temporarily single parent. The worst of it is that she’s taken my 10-22mm lens with her – well, it’s the trip of a lifetime innit.

You can find out more about the Hull Freedom Trail at www.hullfreedomtrail.co.uk. The team will be posting a blog daily when possible, and there will be video diaries and photos going up regularly. Legendary cameraman Claudio von Planta (who filmed Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s Long Way Round and Long Way Down) is on the trip, and he will be posting short episodes along the way as well.

MySpace users can also check out www.myspace.com/hullfreedomtrail and there is also a dedicated group on FaceBook but you have to be a FaceBook member to get access to that one.

Another shot from tonight’s departure event for the Hull Freedom Trail. TV presenter Helen Philpot took to the stage under the big screen in Victoria Square and interviewed various team members who are on the journey, as well as keeping the public abreast of what was going on. Here she is seen speaking to Philip Dean who helps to run the St George Foundation in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The foundation reunite street children with their familes, and currently rely on four clapped out motorcycles for transport. The Hull Freedom Trail will donate one of the five Mitsubishi L200 vehicles to the foundation when they arrive in Freetown in three weeks time. This will make a huge difference to Philip’s work.

Claudio von Planta filmed the event, and as the convoy left Victoria Square tonight for the ferry it was flanked by motorcyle outriders from Rotary International. The lead rider carried Claudio as pillion and he will be joining the five vehicles for the three week journey.