Exeter to host stage 2 of the Jaguar XK Club Round Britain Coastal Drive

The Round Britain Coastal Drive, created in 2016 as a one-off event to raise funds for the charity Prostate Cancer UK, is to run again in 2019 for the fourth successive year.  Stage 2 will see Jaguar XK owners set off from the Lord Haldon Country Hotel, Dunchideock, Exeter EX6 7YF at 9.30am on Tuesday 17 September.  The aim this year is to raise £45,000, in support of the shocking statistic that one man dies every 45 minutes as a result of prostate cancer.

The Round Britain Coastal Drive is open this year to all XK-badged and XK-engined Jaguars.

This year’s 3,400-mile drive around the circumference of the British mainland will feature some new start and finish locations. The event will be flagged-away from the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, on Monday 16 September and will conclude on Thursday 3 October at Lyndhurst in the New Forest National Park.

Most participants choose to drive one or several of the event’s 18 daily stages, but some “all-rounders” opt to drive the entire route. Renowned Jaguar parts specialists, SNG Barratt Group will be supporting the event once again, with a van full of spare parts. Technicians will provide assistance on all 18 stages, including CBR Motor Bodies of Walsall, the respected specialists in classic restoration, body work and repairs. Participants will also be assisted throughout by event hosts from the XK Club and ambassadors from Prostate Cancer UK.

Philip Porter, author, publisher, architect of the Round Britain Coastal Drive and co-founder of the International Jaguar XK Club, said: “We are appealing to owners of XK-badged and XK-engined Jaguars, in the UK and further afield, to join us in some or all of the Road Britain Coastal Drive. This is an enormously enjoyable way of driving your classic car, seeing fantastic scenery, socialising with like-minded enthusiasts, and raising money for a great cause.”      

Gabriella Bailey, Interim Director of Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “The Round Britain Coastal Drive events are fantastic and have so far raised over £200,000 for Prostate Cancer UK, which is a tremendous amount. We are thrilled that Philip and his wife Julie have organised this event for the fourth year in a row, this time with XK-engined Jaguars.

“We are also so grateful that any funds raised through our partnership with the Jaguar XK Club this year, will be match-funded, pound for pound, by an anonymous partner. This generous offer will go towards supporting our Specialist Nurse services, the UK’s only telephone, email and Live Chat support specific to prostate cancer, at Prostate Cancer UK.

“Our Specialist Nurses are here for anyone living with or concerned about prostate cancer or prostate problems.

There are over 400,000 men living with the disease in the UK, which means this service will continue to act as a lifeline for so many. By doubling the value, we are doubling the difference to the lives of men and their loved ones.” 

Anyone interested in taking part can find more information on the event website, https://www.roundbritaincoastaldrive.co.uk/xk-club-round-britain-coastal-drive.html, or by phoning the International XK Club on 01584 781588. Membership of the XK Club brings many attractive benefits and costs little more than a tank of fuel.