Man tours Lightning McQueen car for charity

Luke Russell is one of those raising money for Children in Need

A man is touring with a fibreglass model of Lightning McQueen from the Disney Pixar film Cars to raise money for Children in Need.

Luke Russell, from Devon, who runs a child bereavement charity with his family, has been taking the model car around the south-west of England to various events to raise money for Pudsey.

Mr Russell started the charity, JB and Me, six years ago after his 27-month-old nephew died.

He said the experience his family went through at the time motivated him to help other families experiencing loss and bereavement.

Mr Russell takes the car around the region and the country for the charity he and his family set up, JB and Me

The car, which he purchased, is a fibreglass model which he said was originally made as a press prop for the Cars 2 movie premiere.

He said: "It's from the Cars 2 movie premiere. It was created over in America and shipped over to do the movie premieres."

Mr Russell, who works full time repairing farm machinery, said he customised a van to transport the fibreglass Lightning McQueen around.

Mr Russell customised his own van to transport the car around

"This is the most cost-effective way to do it, where it actually all fits, everything works," he said.

Mr Russell said he gave up all of his free time to the charity and had been touring children's hospices and a variety of events.

"The reason we started this charity, my 27-month-old nephew... he basically went to sleep and didn't wake up.

"It went down as a sudden, unexplained death in childhood. There was no reason for it... and for us as a family, especially mum and dad, it broke mum and dad..."

Mr Russell said he had to "step up" and be there for his older brother at the time.

"He was always the one who got me out of the trouble, I'm the one that's been the naughty child... and he always stuck up for me, and unfortunately, I then had to put the big boy pants on and say actually I need to be there for him now - and I didn't know how to."

He said the experience made him want to help as many families as possible.

"At the time, there's nothing you can do to make that situation any better, but now, I do exactly what I can to make their life better... this is why we do what we do, this is why we go touring the country, this is why we help as many families as we can because I've seen what it did to your family."

Mr Russell, along with the Lightning McQueen car, will be at Bideford Quay on Friday evening, at Holsworthy Carnival on Saturday, and at the Haynes Motor Museum in Yeovil on Sunday.