'Gran-borghini' project takes people for a spin

Bessie Watts was taken for a spin in a McLaren owned by Robin Gibbons as a birthday treat

Elderly people are being given the ride of their lives in a luxury supercar as part of one man's efforts to combat loneliness.

Mark Cody set up the initiative Granborghini, which helps older people get out and about with free rides in high-performance cars, such as a Lamborghini or Ferrari.

The 36-year-old, from Sheffield, was spurred on "to make a difference" after his grandma took her own life at the end of the pandemic because of loneliness and isolation.

He said: "My promise to her was always to take her out in a Lamborghini and the opportunity never came, so I thought I'd love to be able to exist to stop someone being in the situation that my nan was in."

Mr Cody said the cars offered up for rides were borrowed from other drivers who volunteered their time to the cause.

"We've had people step out of the car and say 'I feel like a rock star' or 'I feel 20 years younger'.

"It's so heart-warming and overwhelming emotionally to see people's reactions."

Mr Cody said most passengers who were taken for a spin wanted to go "as fast as possible".

Mark Cody said he wanted to make a difference to other people's lives in honour of his nan

"We've obviously got to balance it with the safety and speed limits but where we can, we do go up to the speed limit," Mr Cody said.

"The exhilaration they get from the acceleration is brilliant to see."

Passenger 92-year-old Bessie Watts was treated to a spin in a high-performance McLaren as a birthday treat before being dropped off at a friendship group in Beighton.

She said: "My 12-year-old grandson is a big fan of McLaren so he will be spitting feathers because his ambition is to be part of the McLaren team, but grandma got there first."

Her friend Betty Tynan, 82, described being taken for a ride for the first time in a Lamborghini as "absolutely fantastic".

She added: "It's made our lives, doing this.

"They've got a good few cars here and I'm hoping to get in every one."

The McLaren's owner, Robin Gibbons, said he got involved with Granborghini because he too wanted to do something to help tackle loneliness in older people.

He added: "You buy these cars to make people smile and that's the value for me."

Betty Tynan said her first ride in a Lamborghini was "absolutely fantastic"

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