Colin Javens, paralysed from shoulders down in an accident in 2000, learnt to drive again and to launch "Driving Home": an inspirational fund-raising journey, with him at the wheel, from Stoke Mandeville Hospital to Cape Town.

It also inspired him to form his registered charity, The Colin Javens Spinal Injury Trust - to raise funds for research into cures for spinal cord damage and for organisations involved in the rehabilitation and welfare of those paralysed by spinal injury. The Trust is also registered as a Charity in Jersey, due to the Patrons and Trustees' connections there.

And it inspired the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust to the honour of electing him a Fellow and putting its full support, financially and morally, behind his expedition.

"I don't want to sit back and wait - I want to take an active part by fundraising and thereby enabling the scientists to discover a cure for paralysis. I want to make a difference!" Colin Javens

The expedition was a success and raised £534,000. However, some of Africa's hardest 14,000 miles over 164 days took their toll. Colin lost a staggering ten kilos, accidently sustained third degree burns and the wear and tear on his body produced ten areas of skin breakdown (pressure sores). Consequently there came a point when there was doubt that the expedition would even make it. Nevertheless, failure wasn’t an option and thanks to the teams combined determination the expedition narrowly made it to Cape Town on the 17th April 2006.

"I owe a huge amount of thanks to my sponsors, trustess, project managers, expedition team and friends and family for supporting the Driving Home Expedition and for helping me to realise my boyhood dream" Colin Javens

The Driving Home Trailer