By KLTV Newsdesk –

Forget Me Not’s Race Across West Yorkshire Raises Over £40,000

Teams from businesses across Yorkshire came together at Huddersfield’s John Smith’s Stadium to celebrate the success of the inaugural Race Across West Yorkshire – a thrilling new charity challenge inspired by the BBC’s hit show Race Across the World.

Organised by Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice and supported by event sponsor RRG Toyota, the race saw 20 pairs from local businesses embark on an unforgettable adventure, all in the name of charity.

A Race Against Time – Without Phones or Wallets

The unique challenge, masterminded by Forget Me Not’s Corporate Partnerships Lead, Michelle Heaney-Firth, and Clive Mattimoe from RRG Toyota, tasked teams with navigating seven mystery checkpoints across West Yorkshire.

The catch? They had to rely solely on maps, travel cards, and a small allowance for food—without the help of mobile phones or personal funds.

Kicking off at 7 am from Arthur’s Café in Mirfield, participants made their way through a series of stops, including Forget Me Not’s charity shop in Wakefield, Junction 32 Retail Park in Castleford, Kirkstall Abbey in Leeds, The Salt Brewery in Saltaire, The Alhambra Theatre in Bradford, and Halifax Piece Hall.

Their journey culminated at Russell House, Forget Me Not’s children’s hospice in Huddersfield, where the exhausted but elated teams crossed the finish line.

Each team carried a mascot throughout the day, purchased at the Forget Me Not shop in Wakefield, adding a touch of fun and character to their journey.

Photo Credit: Mark Flynn Photography

Celebrating Success and Sharing Stories

A few days later, teams gathered at John Smith’s Stadium to reflect on their experiences and discover the winners.

The event drew support from a diverse range of businesses, including Huddersfield-based FMG, Colourcube Automotive Accident Repair Centre, The RRG Toyota Group, and Holmfirth’s Muslin Hall Garage.

They were joined by First Bus North and West Yorkshire, AFP Digital, CDUK, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Fullers Foods International, Froneri, HSBC, Bradford Bulls Women’s Rugby Team, Cerberus Group, Anchor Hanover Group, Joda Freight, and Ossett Brewery.

During the celebrations, attendees heard from Hollie Shaw, 21, one of the first young people to stay at the children’s hospice, and her mother, Leah Fairbank, who shared heartfelt stories of the invaluable support they have received from Forget Me Not.

Photo Credit: Mark Flynn Photography

A Testament to Yorkshire’s Generosity

One of the most inspiring takeaways from the race was the overwhelming kindness shown by strangers.

Many teams recounted stories of people going out of their way to offer lifts, provide directions, donate money, and share food and drinks. In total, the event raised a staggering £40,136.

Clive Mattimoe, General Manager at RRG Toyota Huddersfield, said: “The idea for Race Across West Yorkshire came during a conversation I had with Michelle at Forget Me Not about the TV show Race Across the World and what we both love about it is that it brings out the best in people – people always do so much to help the contestants for no gain to themselves.

“And that’s exactly what we heard from our teams – story after story after story of people they encountered who helped them out with lifts, directions, donations, snacks, drinks and advice.

“Everyone was just blown away by the kindness of the people they met out and about in West Yorkshire.”

The Fastest Team and the Big Winners

The “Baby Reindeers” team from vehicle incident management company FMG emerged victorious, with Dean Calcutt and Katie Lang finishing first.

The duo, sporting eye-catching wigs and carrying their unicorn mascot, “Martha,” managed to hitchhike their way between multiple checkpoints, giving them a crucial edge over competitors.

Katie Lang, from FMG’s winning Baby Reindeers team, said: “We were just ruthless and cheeky on the day! With our wigs and our unicorn, we managed to hitch lifts between almost all of the checkpoints.

Photo Credit: Mark Flynn Photography

“Along the way, we heard some amazing stories from some of the people who helped us. We caught a lift with a driving instructor, a Sainsbury’s worker and people from all over the world.

“It’s fun to have won it and extra fun to have beaten the other two teams from FMG! But the biggest winners on the day were our neighbours at Forget Me Not who put such an amazing day together with the guys from RRG Toyota.”

Bradford Bulls Women’s Rugby Team members Natalie Moorhouse and Rebecca Ball-Knight finished in second place, while the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Business Board team, Mandy Ridyard and Aaron Holt, took third place, having raised an impressive £4,401 for Forget Me Not.

A Lifeline for the Hospice

Speaking on the success of the event, Forget Me Not CEO, Gareth Pierce, said: “It’s been so heartening to hear about the wonderful reception all the contestants got as they travelled round West Yorkshire in their Forget Me Not hoodies.

“The kindness and generosity they encountered is something we rely on and know a lot about as a charity.

“90% of the £6 million we need to run our hospice and our services supporting babies and children with life-shortening conditions and their families across West Yorkshire comes from local people.

“We can’t keep doing what we do without events like this, people like our lovely contestants, all their sponsors and the many, many people across our region who support us in so many ways.”

Watch the Journey

A short film of the event, produced by RRG Toyota, is available to watch here.

Meanwhile, James Macdonald and Steven Parr from the Holmfirth-based Muslin Hall Garage team, “Lost in West Yorkshire,” documented their journey in a longer video, which can be viewed here.

With its mix of adventure, camaraderie, and community spirit, Race Across West Yorkshire looks set to become a much-anticipated annual event, proving that a little kindness can go a long way.