A FUNDRAISING effort with a difference has inspired the Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice to boost its Brick by Brick Appeal.

Glasgow couple Steven Rooney and Amanda Weir won the madcap Monte Carlo or Bust Rally last year in an old banger with 55,000 miles on the clock, covering the distance from Saint-Quentin in northern France to the French Riviera in three days and raised more than £3500 for the hospice on the way.

Now the Brick by Brick Banger Rally will set off on September 25, crossing more than 500 miles of Scottish countryside.

Sponsored by Taggarts Motor Group, the hospice is looking for courageous teams of up to four people to attract support and sponsorship to contribute to the remaining £7 million required of the £21 million target to build a new hospice on a site at Bellahouston Park.

The event will challenge their ingenuity, imagination, organisational skills and bravery as they tackle the route.

Teams taking part will need to acquire a vehicle at a cost of not more than £300. Then the teams and their vehicle will travel and length and breadth of the country navigating from defined points and meeting challenges set by the hospice team.

They stress, this is not a race, it is a fun event - but one which cannot be entered into lightly. Points will be awarded for a whole range of characteristics as well as "best dressed vehicle and team".

Steven and Amanda, from Shawlands, will be bringing their own banger, a 2003 Mazda 323 Sport covered in individual brick stickers signed by supporters, back out on the road for the September rally.

"I have extended family members who have been in the hospice and passed away there," said research consultant Steven.

"We took part in the Monte Carlo or Bust Rally because we were keen to find somewhere local to raise money for and the Brick by Brick Appeal really stood out."

He added: "We thought about auctioning the car off to raise more money for the hospice. There's no way we could have scrapped it after that journey."

The Brick by Brick Appeal, backed by the Evening Times, was launched to build a 21st-century healthcare facility for the hospice in landscaped gardens, enabling it to widen its services to younger people and offer more flexible accommodation for patients and families.

To enter the Brick by Brick Banger Rally, contact hospice fundraising manager Heather Manson for information and a registration pack on 0141 429 9855 or heather.manson@ppwh.org.uk