Bristol Students Reach Lanzarote on Charity Jailbreak

Three Bristol University

students have reached Lanzarote without spending any money, in the

annual charity Jailbreak, organised by the Students' Union.

The

trio - competing under the team name of Left Hand Drive - were among

over 40 teams of students who were "released" from the Student Union

building on Saturday morning. They were given 36 hours to get as far away as

they could, without spending any money at all on travel.

The

winning team managed to travel 1665 miles and, by Sunday afternoon

were enjoying an afternoon of winter sun on Lanzarote's Playa Blanca

before returning to Bristol today (Monday). They have so far raised

nearly £450 for charity from sponsorship.

Team

leader Laura Baker says her all-female team is aiming to raise £500 for

the Ronald McDonald House in Bristol - on Royal Fort Road, just off St

Michael's Hill. The home provides home-from-home accommodation free of

charge for families of seriously ill children who are being treated at

the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

The team's journey to the Canary Islands took them via Manchester

and involved five free train journeys two buses and a free flight,

courtesy of Thomas Cook. The students even managed to wrangle a free

apartment for their overnight stay. "It's amazing," says Laura, "people are so generous!"

Altbough Left Hand Drive have travelled the furthest, another team have

raised the most money so far. Quantum Tunnelling, who reached Fleninge

in Sweden, have raised over £1,000 for the Room to Read charity, which

provides library services in developing countries. They travelled

overland through Germany and Denmark to their destination - a total of

705 miles.

The annual jailbreak is part of the University RAG Week, now in its 84th

year. The event has raised over £288,000 over the last two years, an

achievement which David Mansell of the Students Union describes as

"incredible".

Previous years have seen teams of students reach as far as the USA and

Bahrain. The record so far stands at 5190 miles to Arizona. Almost all

teams manage to get onto mainland Europe, though the least distance

ever travelled in a jailbreak is 4 miles - one team making it no

further than Avonmouth in the allocated time.

photo credit monstermunch99