Jailbreak: York students make it to Bruges

In just 30 hours, with only one stop in London, Yola Kingsbury, Alex Moore and Calum Dawkins travelled from York all the way to Bruges without spending a penny on transport.

They did this all in aid of Kidscan as part of York’s Jailbreak.

The group of three, knowing little about their future whereabouts, spectacularly managed to get a bus from York to Leeds and then another from Leeds on to London where they spent a night anticipating their next journey. Yet, before they even left the station, they encountered a bit of a problem; being told by the police to stop fundraising meant they had to head into town with the clock still ticking.

Calum said: “The most difficult aspect of the trip was actually getting stuff for free, like buses or trains. Surprisingly enough, big companies won’t just let you wander onto their vehicle because you’re smiley, and or a little bit flirtatious.”

The relief of actually being allowed on a coach

After conquering the feeling of defeat, which was sparked by being repeatedly rejected from any trains, and subsequently being kicked out of the station, at 5am, the next day the group caught the tube and got themselves onto a coach to Bruges.

Speaking about the final stop, Calum explained the highlight of their unique experience. “It was that amazing feeling, arriving in the main square in Bruges, and realising we had actually made it somewhere totally cool. Also the super edgy beer we then celebrated with next to a canal, which turned out to be 8.5%, which we liked (a lot).”

Also, “Alex getting attacked with cardboard coasters by a group of Belgians, in a very oddly enjoyable techno club. They literally put Jingle Bells to a heavy techno bassline….”

Well earned

Finally, Calum told The Tab that this is definitely a challenge he would tackle for a second time. He said:

“It was genuinely one of the coolest and most exhilarating ways to travel and raise money for a really worthy cause, so we obviously recommend everyone takes part in #jailbreak2017.”

Raising almost £500 for Kidscan as a group of three, the team definitely accomplished their initial aim, which was to make it out of the UK and raise as much as possible for a charity they are very passionate about. Calum said: “Kidscan is an amazing charity who lead research and innovation into finding better treatments and care for children suffering from cancer”.

If you’re interested in donating to any of the participants who made it to Bruges, please do so by clicking any of the following links.

Calum, Alex, Yola