Chelsea Pensioner with one year to live to drive 3,000-mile rally from London to Gibraltar in old Toyota Corolla

An 81-year-old Chelsea Pensioner, told he has one year to live, is driving 3,000 miles for a Veterans Banger Rally from London to Gibraltar and back to raise money for three charities – as he wants to “leave the world in a better state than (he) found it”.

Chris O’Connor, a resident veteran at the Royal Hospital Chelsea who also served as mayor of Calderdale from 2001 to 2002 after a career which included a decade in the army, has raised money for several charities over his lifetime – but his latest fundraising mission holds special significance.

He will be travelling in a 20-year-old 1.6-litre Toyota Corolla with two serving soldiers from London to Gibraltar and back in memory of his friend Geoff Read, a fellow Chelsea Pensioner who died in January this year, and for three charities to help fund “life-changing initiatives for brave veterans”.

He is tackling the challenge all while battling a “wasting disease in (his) lungs” – idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) – which doctors say has left him with a year to live.

“According to my doctor, I’ve got about another year – well, he told me that at the beginning of the year – but I’m going to cram as much in as I possibly can,” Chris told PA Real Life.

“I’ve got things to do, places to go, and people to see.”

The Veterans Banger Rally will commence on September 24 and will take approximately one week each way – and after returning back home, the vehicle, which is covered in stickers, will be donated to the charity Back on Track before being auctioned at its Dancing with Heroes Ball on November 25.

While Chris is concerned for his health during the rally, he is looking forward to “bringing the car back” and completing the trip, and he hopes to raise “as much money as possible” for the three charities – Back on Track, the Royal Hospital Chelsea’s Veteran Outreach programme, and Blind Veterans.

He said: “I’ve certainly had a good run, but I know there is more that can be done to leave the world in a better state than I found it.

“If in my last year I can leave a legacy which tells people, ‘You can make a difference to the lives of many if you just try’, then I’ll be happy.

“My motto is just, ‘Keep going’ – get out there and enjoy life.”

Chris left school and joined the army in 1958, aged 16.

He trained at the Army Apprentices School at Arborfield, Berkshire, after which his first posting was with the First Royal Tank Regiment in Germany.

He then spent more than a year with the Royal Artillery Regiment before becoming part of the beach recovery crew on HMS Fearless for 18 months, sailing the world.

After leaving the army in 1969, he married his late wife Dorothy in 1973, worked as a lift engineer, and then entered local politics, becoming the mayor of Calderdale in 2001.

In the following years, he cared for his wife, who had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), until she developed cancer and later passed away, aged 67, in 2013.

The father-of-three raised money for several charities, including MS Society UK.

“During my time as mayor and afterwards, charity fundraising was the main key,” he said.

“My particular charity was the MS Society, but you’re also involved with other charities, and you get to see what is happening, what their problems are, and what difficulties they have.”

Last year, it was Chris’ “big 80th birthday”, and after seeing an advert for a banger rally, he decided to drive from London to Gibraltar and back with his friend Geoff to raise money.

Geoff died in January, and so Chris has decided to take part in the Veterans Banger Rally in September in his memory, where he will be driving with him “in spirit”.

The pair managed to raise £800 last year, but Chris’ target is £30,000 this year – and after recently driving to the Czech Republic for a road test, he is ready for the challenge.

Moreover, after being told by his doctor that he has one year to live due to a “wasting disease in (his) lungs”, Chris wants to make the most of his time left.

“My lungs have a gradual wasting disease, and the local hospital somewhere down the line is going to issue me with experimental drugs which might slow it all down,” he explained.

“We’ll keep going. We’ll keep going as long as we can.

“There’s lots to do yet; I can’t go yet, I’m not ready.”

Upon hearing of Chris’ fundraising mission, several celebrities turned up at the Royal Hospital to show their support in May as he unveiled the old banger he will be driving.

Those who were there for the jubilant anticipatory send-off included TV presenter Melinda Messenger, Strictly Come Dancing’s Robin Windsor, and EastEnders’ Carol Harrison.

The grandfather-of-four said his family thinks he is “crazy”, but “they’re used to (him) doing crazy things”, and he described the upcoming rally as “another adventure”.

He has “a good collection of CDs” to take with him, particularly late 50s and 1960s music, and he is looking forward to meeting the two soldiers who will accompany him.

While his main concern is his health, he said the “key” is raising as much money as possible.

“Dig deep into your pockets,” he said.

“I’m prepared to accept any coins of the realm – euros, Czech crowns, Polish zloty, American dollars – I’ll accept any funding at all from anywhere around the world.

“My concerns are going to be mainly health; I’ll go prepared, and I’ve got medication so that if things get a bit rough, they can kick me back into life for a few more days, but I have no concerns otherwise.

“What I’m looking forward to is actually bringing the car back, as that means I will have achieved what I set out to do, and obviously raising as much money as possible along the way.”

To donate, visit the fundraising page here: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/geoff-read-memorial-team

To find out more about Back on Track, the Royal Hospital’s Veteran Outreach programme, and Blind Veterans, visit: backontrack.london or www.chelsea-pensioners.co.uk/outreach or www.blindveterans.org.uk/