Aidan Shaw and Jovian Stone from Falmouth, are to take part in the Plymouth Dakar Challenge, travelling from Plymouth to West Africa to raise money for a local bee conservation charity.

Driving 4,000 miles in Jovian’s £300, 20-year-old car, they will travel through the UK, western Europe, west Africa, and across the Sahara Desert, ultimately ending up in Banjul. There, they will donate the car to a local African charity and make their way back to Cornwall.

They will set off in December and return in January, completing the rally in just three weeks. Along their journey, Aidan and Jovian will raise money and awareness for Black’s Cornish Bees, a local bee conservation charity based in Penryn. They have even named their team The Bees Brothers and plan to decorate Jovian’s VW Polo as a bee.

Aidan and Jovian have chosen to fundraise for a cause that is close to their hearts and their home. Black’s Cornish Bees is a small community interest group, dedicated to protecting and developing the native bee population in Cornwall.

Local owners, Bob Black and Tamsin Blight, are hoping to raise additional funds to support the conservation work. This entails buying additional bee keeping equipment and offering workshops on site for those with an interest in native bee conservation, as well as both novice and advanced beekeeping groups. They also plan to improve the site with landscaping and signage. Their goal is to create a space where the local community can engage with bee conservation, and learn about the vital role native bees play in sustaining local and global ecosystems.

To achieve this goal, Aidan and Jovian have created a GoFundMe page, entitled Aidan and Jovie’s Rally for the Bees. All donations will go to Bob and Tamsin and their efforts to conserve native bees in Cornwall. Donations in the form of volunteer work on-site would also be welcomed.

To learn more about Aidan and Jovian's forthcoming adventure, get involved, or donate visit gofundme.com/rally4thebees or go to cornishbees.com.