Couple Quit Jobs To Travel The World In A Campercar – Now They’re Raising Funds To Bring A Rescue Dog Home

Alex, Doug and Tagha, the pup in their first family photo together. UK: THIS COUPLE who paused their NHS jobs to travel a whopping 25K miles and live in a tiny ?450 Vauxhall Agila 2003 camper car are stranded in Morocco until they can raise the funds to adopt the stray pooch they took into their van after he ran in front of their vehicle almost causing them to crash.Occupational Therapist Alex Hunter (29) and Prosthetist Doug Oldrey (30) were due to complete their studies in 2020 and go on a planned rally - The Mongol Rally, but because of the pandemic went straight into frontline healthcare roles.The Mongol Rally is an intercontinental car rally that begins in Europe and ends in Ulan-Ude, Russia.Once things settled down on the Covid front, Doug left his job and Alex took unpaid time off of her job at the NHS in order to undertake the rally that they had planned pre-covid.Alex and Doug created their own rally with two other teams travelling 25,000 miles across 40 countries based on Covid border restrictions and current conflict areas and named it as the Long Loop Rally. They wanted to start a charity rally that was as challenging as The Mongol Rally and so they hit three continents and went as far east into Asia as possible (Armenia), as far north in Europe as possible, in the Arctic (Nordkapp, Norway), to the most northern point of Africa in Tunisia, the Sahara and Morocco in North Africa.They have raised ?2650 of the ?3000 target for their two chosen charities - Blesma, a charity working with military personnel and veterans who have suffered loss of limb, sight or other physical/mental health difficulties they may encounter, in order to help them live a fulfilled life, and Cool Earth who work with indigenous populations to come up with sustainable solutions to stop deforestation around the world.They decided to complete this rally in their Vauxhall Agila, 2003 1.2 litre, front wheel drive which they lovingly named ?Sheila the Agila?. They bought their car for just ?450 and invested another ?1000 to convert it into a micro camper with double bed, pull-out stove, kitchen and storage and even a fridge.They have lived full time in their car since July and admit that living in a car is drastically cheaper than paying rent especially given the current prices and the rise in energy bills.The couple have even picked up a companion, a Moroccan rescue pup named Tagha, who at five weeks old ran in front of their car, almost caused a crash but ended up stealing their hearts and they are raising money to adopt him from his country before they are able to leave Morocco. They are raising money for two charities and have JustGiving pages for them.So far they have visited France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, Lituania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino, Tunisia, Monaco, Andorra, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco?Being in a car is certainly less expensive in terms of rent,? they said?We have come to terms with the fact that we will likely never be able to afford a house in the UK with current prices, the rise in energy bills etc. and so have had van life as our ambition for some time now.?In our case living in a car is also cheaper to insure and run than a van. ?We also just don?t think we will be able to ever afford a house, especially whilst we continue to pay rent. ?Living in a car means we can save money in the long run and look at other opportunities aside from becoming tied to a mortgage. ?When we return from our current trip we have a plan to convert a van that we already own whilst working in the UK. ?Maybe one day we will want to be in a house and be able to afford it, but at the moment, a car suits us perfectly.? mediadrumimages/sheilatheagila — Alex, Doug and Tagha, in their first family photo together (Picture: mediadrumimages/sheilatheagila)

A couple who paused their NHS jobs to travel the world in Vauxhall Agila campervan are now stranded in Morocco until they can raise the funds to adopt a stray dog.

Alex Hunter, 29, and Doug Oldrey, 30, had been completing a charity rally, travelling through 40 countries in a 2003 campercar, which they bought for £450.

After investing another £1000 to convert ‘Sheila the Agila’ into a micro camper with double bed, pull-out stove, kitchen and storage, they set off in July this year.

But when the pair reached Morocco, a five-week-old dog, who they named Tagha, ran in front of the car, almost causing a crash.

The adorable pooch quickly stole their hearts, and Alex and Doug are now raising money to adopt her – and they won’t leave Morocco until they do.

Alex, an occupational therapist, said: ‘She ran out in front of our car on day four in Morocco and was around five weeks old with no mother or any hope of survival.

Tagha, the pup. UK: THIS COUPLE who paused their NHS jobs to travel a whopping 25K miles and live in a tiny ?450 Vauxhall Agila 2003 camper car are stranded in Morocco until they can raise the funds to adopt the stray pooch they took into their van after he ran in front of their vehicle almost causing them to crash.Occupational Therapist Alex Hunter (29) and Prosthetist Doug Oldrey (30) were due to complete their studies in 2020 and go on a planned rally - The Mongol Rally, but because of the pandemic went straight into frontline healthcare roles.The Mongol Rally is an intercontinental car rally that begins in Europe and ends in Ulan-Ude, Russia.Once things settled down on the Covid front, Doug left his job and Alex took unpaid time off of her job at the NHS in order to undertake the rally that they had planned pre-covid.Alex and Doug created their own rally with two other teams travelling 25,000 miles across 40 countries based on Covid border restrictions and current conflict areas and named it as the Long Loop Rally. They wanted to start a charity rally that was as challenging as The Mongol Rally and so they hit three continents and went as far east into Asia as possible (Armenia), as far north in Europe as possible, in the Arctic (Nordkapp, Norway), to the most northern point of Africa in Tunisia, the Sahara and Morocco in North Africa.They have raised ?2650 of the ?3000 target for their two chosen charities - Blesma, a charity working with military personnel and veterans who have suffered loss of limb, sight or other physical/mental health difficulties they may encounter, in order to help them live a fulfilled life, and Cool Earth who work with indigenous populations to come up with sustainable solutions to stop deforestation around the world.They decided to complete this rally in their Vauxhall Agila, 2003 1.2 litre, front wheel drive which they lovingly named ?Sheila the Agila?. They bought their car for just ?450 and invested another ?1000 to convert it into a micro camper with double bed, pull-out stove, kitchen and storage and even a fridge.They have lived full time in their car since July and admit that living in a car is drastically cheaper than paying rent especially given the current prices and the rise in energy bills.The couple have even picked up a companion, a Moroccan rescue pup named Tagha, who at five weeks old ran in front of their car, almost caused a crash but ended up stealing their hearts and they are raising money to adopt him from his country before they are able to leave Morocco. They are raising money for two charities and have JustGiving pages for them.So far they have visited France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, Lituania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino, Tunisia, Monaco, Andorra, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco?Being in a car is certainly less expensive in terms of rent,? they said?We have come to terms with the fact that we will likely never be able to afford a house in the UK with current prices, the rise in energy bills etc. and so have had van life as our ambition for some time now.?In our case living in a car is also cheaper to insure and run than a van. ?We also just don?t think we will be able to ever afford a house, especially whilst we continue to pay rent. ?Living in a car means we can save money in the long run and look at other opportunities aside from becoming tied to a mortgage. ?When we return from our current trip we have a plan to convert a van that we already own whilst working in the UK. ?Maybe one day we will want to be in a house and be able to afford it, but at the moment, a car suits us perfectly.? mediadrumimages/sheilatheagila — We couldn’t leave her behind either (Picture: mediadrumimages/sheilatheagila)

A family photo from December, 2022. UK: THIS COUPLE who paused their NHS jobs to travel a whopping 25K miles and live in a tiny ?450 Vauxhall Agila 2003 camper car are stranded in Morocco until they can raise the funds to adopt the stray pooch they took into their van after he ran in front of their vehicle almost causing them to crash.Occupational Therapist Alex Hunter (29) and Prosthetist Doug Oldrey (30) were due to complete their studies in 2020 and go on a planned rally - The Mongol Rally, but because of the pandemic went straight into frontline healthcare roles.The Mongol Rally is an intercontinental car rally that begins in Europe and ends in Ulan-Ude, Russia.Once things settled down on the Covid front, Doug left his job and Alex took unpaid time off of her job at the NHS in order to undertake the rally that they had planned pre-covid.Alex and Doug created their own rally with two other teams travelling 25,000 miles across 40 countries based on Covid border restrictions and current conflict areas and named it as the Long Loop Rally. They wanted to start a charity rally that was as challenging as The Mongol Rally and so they hit three continents and went as far east into Asia as possible (Armenia), as far north in Europe as possible, in the Arctic (Nordkapp, Norway), to the most northern point of Africa in Tunisia, the Sahara and Morocco in North Africa.They have raised ?2650 of the ?3000 target for their two chosen charities - Blesma, a charity working with military personnel and veterans who have suffered loss of limb, sight or other physical/mental health difficulties they may encounter, in order to help them live a fulfilled life, and Cool Earth who work with indigenous populations to come up with sustainable solutions to stop deforestation around the world.They decided to complete this rally in their Vauxhall Agila, 2003 1.2 litre, front wheel drive which they lovingly named ?Sheila the Agila?. They bought their car for just ?450 and invested another ?1000 to convert it into a micro camper with double bed, pull-out stove, kitchen and storage and even a fridge.They have lived full time in their car since July and admit that living in a car is drastically cheaper than paying rent especially given the current prices and the rise in energy bills.The couple have even picked up a companion, a Moroccan rescue pup named Tagha, who at five weeks old ran in front of their car, almost caused a crash but ended up stealing their hearts and they are raising money to adopt him from his country before they are able to leave Morocco. They are raising money for two charities and have JustGiving pages for them.So far they have visited France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, Lituania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino, Tunisia, Monaco, Andorra, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco?Being in a car is certainly less expensive in terms of rent,? they said?We have come to terms with the fact that we will likely never be able to afford a house in the UK with current prices, the rise in energy bills etc. and so have had van life as our ambition for some time now.?In our case living in a car is also cheaper to insure and run than a van. ?We also just don?t think we will be able to ever afford a house, especially whilst we continue to pay rent. ?Living in a car means we can save money in the long run and look at other opportunities aside from becoming tied to a mortgage. ?When we return from our current trip we have a plan to convert a van that we already own whilst working in the UK. ?Maybe one day we will want to be in a house and be able to afford it, but at the moment, a car suits us perfectly.? mediadrumimages/sheilatheagila — They love car life (Picture: mediadrumimages/sheilatheagila)

‘We couldn’t possibly leave her behind so whilst the five month adoption process is underway we plan to continue to explore beautiful Morocco.’

Alex and Doug, a prosthetist, were due to complete their studies in 2020, and go on a planned rally – the famous Mongol Rally, that begins in Europe and ends in Russia.

But when Covid hit, the pair went straight into frontline care. After working at the height of the pandemic, it was only earlier this year that they felt ready to leave their jobs, and finally go ahead with their travels.

Alex and Doug in the Arctic Circle. UK: THIS COUPLE who paused their NHS jobs to travel a whopping 25K miles and live in a tiny ?450 Vauxhall Agila 2003 camper car are stranded in Morocco until they can raise the funds to adopt the stray pooch they took into their van after he ran in front of their vehicle almost causing them to crash.Occupational Therapist Alex Hunter (29) and Prosthetist Doug Oldrey (30) were due to complete their studies in 2020 and go on a planned rally - The Mongol Rally, but because of the pandemic went straight into frontline healthcare roles.The Mongol Rally is an intercontinental car rally that begins in Europe and ends in Ulan-Ude, Russia.Once things settled down on the Covid front, Doug left his job and Alex took unpaid time off of her job at the NHS in order to undertake the rally that they had planned pre-covid.Alex and Doug created their own rally with two other teams travelling 25,000 miles across 40 countries based on Covid border restrictions and current conflict areas and named it as the Long Loop Rally. They wanted to start a charity rally that was as challenging as The Mongol Rally and so they hit three continents and went as far east into Asia as possible (Armenia), as far north in Europe as possible, in the Arctic (Nordkapp, Norway), to the most northern point of Africa in Tunisia, the Sahara and Morocco in North Africa.They have raised ?2650 of the ?3000 target for their two chosen charities - Blesma, a charity working with military personnel and veterans who have suffered loss of limb, sight or other physical/mental health difficulties they may encounter, in order to help them live a fulfilled life, and Cool Earth who work with indigenous populations to come up with sustainable solutions to stop deforestation around the world.They decided to complete this rally in their Vauxhall Agila, 2003 1.2 litre, front wheel drive which they lovingly named ?Sheila the Agila?. They bought their car for just ?450 and invested another ?1000 to convert it into a micro camper with double bed, pull-out stove, kitchen and storage and even a fridge.They have lived full time in their car since July and admit that living in a car is drastically cheaper than paying rent especially given the current prices and the rise in energy bills.The couple have even picked up a companion, a Moroccan rescue pup named Tagha, who at five weeks old ran in front of their car, almost caused a crash but ended up stealing their hearts and they are raising money to adopt him from his country before they are able to leave Morocco. They are raising money for two charities and have JustGiving pages for them.So far they have visited France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, Lituania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino, Tunisia, Monaco, Andorra, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco?Being in a car is certainly less expensive in terms of rent,? they said?We have come to terms with the fact that we will likely never be able to afford a house in the UK with current prices, the rise in energy bills etc. and so have had van life as our ambition for some time now.?In our case living in a car is also cheaper to insure and run than a van. ?We also just don?t think we will be able to ever afford a house, especially whilst we continue to pay rent. ?Living in a car means we can save money in the long run and look at other opportunities aside from becoming tied to a mortgage. ?When we return from our current trip we have a plan to convert a van that we already own whilst working in the UK. ?Maybe one day we will want to be in a house and be able to afford it, but at the moment, a car suits us perfectly.? mediadrumimages/sheilatheagila — They’re raising thousands for charity (Picture: mediadrumimages/sheilatheagila)

Alex and Doug created their own rally, travelling 25,000 miles across 40 countries. They planned their route to avoid Covid border restrictions and conflict areas, and named it the Long Loop Rally.

So far, they’ve raised £2650 of the £3000 target for their two chosen charities – Blesma and Cool Earth.

Alex says: ‘Being in a car is certainly less expensive in terms of rent.

Where have Alex and Doug been on the Long Loop Rally?

So far they’ve visited:

France
Belgium
Germany
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Hungary
Romania
Bulgaria
Turkey
Georgia
Armenia
Greece
North Macedonia
Kosovo
Albania
Montenegro
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbia
Croatia
Slovenia
Austria
Poland
Lithuania
Latvia
Estonia
Finland
Norway
Sweden
Denmark
Liechtenstein
Switzerland
Italy
San Marino
Tunisia
Monaco
Andorra
Spain
Gibraltar
Morocco

‘We have come to terms with the fact that we will likely never be able to afford a house in the UK with current prices and the rise in energy bills, so we’ve had van life as our ambition for some time now.’

Living in a tiny car is by no means an easy featm but the experience has taught Alex and Doug a lot.

They said: ‘We have to be very careful with packing and working out exactly what we will need for a journey.

Alex and Doug working for the NHS. UK: THIS COUPLE who paused their NHS jobs to travel a whopping 25K miles and live in a tiny ?450 Vauxhall Agila 2003 camper car are stranded in Morocco until they can raise the funds to adopt the stray pooch they took into their van after he ran in front of their vehicle almost causing them to crash.Occupational Therapist Alex Hunter (29) and Prosthetist Doug Oldrey (30) were due to complete their studies in 2020 and go on a planned rally - The Mongol Rally, but because of the pandemic went straight into frontline healthcare roles.The Mongol Rally is an intercontinental car rally that begins in Europe and ends in Ulan-Ude, Russia.Once things settled down on the Covid front, Doug left his job and Alex took unpaid time off of her job at the NHS in order to undertake the rally that they had planned pre-covid.Alex and Doug created their own rally with two other teams travelling 25,000 miles across 40 countries based on Covid border restrictions and current conflict areas and named it as the Long Loop Rally. They wanted to start a charity rally that was as challenging as The Mongol Rally and so they hit three continents and went as far east into Asia as possible (Armenia), as far north in Europe as possible, in the Arctic (Nordkapp, Norway), to the most northern point of Africa in Tunisia, the Sahara and Morocco in North Africa.They have raised ?2650 of the ?3000 target for their two chosen charities - Blesma, a charity working with military personnel and veterans who have suffered loss of limb, sight or other physical/mental health difficulties they may encounter, in order to help them live a fulfilled life, and Cool Earth who work with indigenous populations to come up with sustainable solutions to stop deforestation around the world.They decided to complete this rally in their Vauxhall Agila, 2003 1.2 litre, front wheel drive which they lovingly named ?Sheila the Agila?. They bought their car for just ?450 and invested another ?1000 to convert it into a micro camper with double bed, pull-out stove, kitchen and storage and even a fridge.They have lived full time in their car since July and admit that living in a car is drastically cheaper than paying rent especially given the current prices and the rise in energy bills.The couple have even picked up a companion, a Moroccan rescue pup named Tagha, who at five weeks old ran in front of their car, almost caused a crash but ended up stealing their hearts and they are raising money to adopt him from his country before they are able to leave Morocco. They are raising money for two charities and have JustGiving pages for them.So far they have visited France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, Lituania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino, Tunisia, Monaco, Andorra, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco?Being in a car is certainly less expensive in terms of rent,? they said?We have come to terms with the fact that we will likely never be able to afford a house in the UK with current prices, the rise in energy bills etc. and so have had van life as our ambition for some time now.?In our case living in a car is also cheaper to insure and run than a van. ?We also just don?t think we will be able to ever afford a house, especially whilst we continue to pay rent. ?Living in a car means we can save money in the long run and look at other opportunities aside from becoming tied to a mortgage. ?When we return from our current trip we have a plan to convert a van that we already own whilst working in the UK. ?Maybe one day we will want to be in a house and be able to afford it, but at the moment, a car suits us perfectly.? mediadrumimages/sheilatheagila — They left jobs in the NHS (Picture: mediadrumimages/sheilatheagila)

‘We did lots of short trips in the UK which helped us to work out what we did and did not need.

‘We have actually found that car life offers us freedom. We have come to realise how simply we can live, with less possessions and less need for them.’

And despite Doug being 6ft 2in, they say it works for them.

‘We occasionally have people in disbelief that we live in such a small city car, especially as Doug is so tall,’ said Alex.

‘We’ve also had many comments stating that we would not be able to cover the terrain we have done in such an unsuitable car, but we’ve proved them wrong and taken Sheila over terrain that would challenge the best overlanding 4×4, including mountain slopes, deserts and the Arctic.’

Alex and Tagha, the pup nap. UK: THIS COUPLE who paused their NHS jobs to travel a whopping 25K miles and live in a tiny ?450 Vauxhall Agila 2003 camper car are stranded in Morocco until they can raise the funds to adopt the stray pooch they took into their van after he ran in front of their vehicle almost causing them to crash.Occupational Therapist Alex Hunter (29) and Prosthetist Doug Oldrey (30) were due to complete their studies in 2020 and go on a planned rally - The Mongol Rally, but because of the pandemic went straight into frontline healthcare roles.The Mongol Rally is an intercontinental car rally that begins in Europe and ends in Ulan-Ude, Russia.Once things settled down on the Covid front, Doug left his job and Alex took unpaid time off of her job at the NHS in order to undertake the rally that they had planned pre-covid.Alex and Doug created their own rally with two other teams travelling 25,000 miles across 40 countries based on Covid border restrictions and current conflict areas and named it as the Long Loop Rally. They wanted to start a charity rally that was as challenging as The Mongol Rally and so they hit three continents and went as far east into Asia as possible (Armenia), as far north in Europe as possible, in the Arctic (Nordkapp, Norway), to the most northern point of Africa in Tunisia, the Sahara and Morocco in North Africa.They have raised ?2650 of the ?3000 target for their two chosen charities - Blesma, a charity working with military personnel and veterans who have suffered loss of limb, sight or other physical/mental health difficulties they may encounter, in order to help them live a fulfilled life, and Cool Earth who work with indigenous populations to come up with sustainable solutions to stop deforestation around the world.They decided to complete this rally in their Vauxhall Agila, 2003 1.2 litre, front wheel drive which they lovingly named ?Sheila the Agila?. They bought their car for just ?450 and invested another ?1000 to convert it into a micro camper with double bed, pull-out stove, kitchen and storage and even a fridge.They have lived full time in their car since July and admit that living in a car is drastically cheaper than paying rent especially given the current prices and the rise in energy bills.The couple have even picked up a companion, a Moroccan rescue pup named Tagha, who at five weeks old ran in front of their car, almost caused a crash but ended up stealing their hearts and they are raising money to adopt him from his country before they are able to leave Morocco. They are raising money for two charities and have JustGiving pages for them.So far they have visited France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, Lituania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino, Tunisia, Monaco, Andorra, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco?Being in a car is certainly less expensive in terms of rent,? they said?We have come to terms with the fact that we will likely never be able to afford a house in the UK with current prices, the rise in energy bills etc. and so have had van life as our ambition for some time now.?In our case living in a car is also cheaper to insure and run than a van. ?We also just don?t think we will be able to ever afford a house, especially whilst we continue to pay rent. ?Living in a car means we can save money in the long run and look at other opportunities aside from becoming tied to a mortgage. ?When we return from our current trip we have a plan to convert a van that we already own whilst working in the UK. ?Maybe one day we will want to be in a house and be able to afford it, but at the moment, a car suits us perfectly.? mediadrumimages/sheilatheagila — Getting cosy (Picture: mediadrumimages/sheilatheagila)

Alex and Doug on the world's most dangerous road, Byburt of Yolu in Turkey .UK: THIS COUPLE who paused their NHS jobs to travel a whopping 25K miles and live in a tiny ?450 Vauxhall Agila 2003 camper car are stranded in Morocco until they can raise the funds to adopt the stray pooch they took into their van after he ran in front of their vehicle almost causing them to crash.Occupational Therapist Alex Hunter (29) and Prosthetist Doug Oldrey (30) were due to complete their studies in 2020 and go on a planned rally - The Mongol Rally, but because of the pandemic went straight into frontline healthcare roles.The Mongol Rally is an intercontinental car rally that begins in Europe and ends in Ulan-Ude, Russia.Once things settled down on the Covid front, Doug left his job and Alex took unpaid time off of her job at the NHS in order to undertake the rally that they had planned pre-covid.Alex and Doug created their own rally with two other teams travelling 25,000 miles across 40 countries based on Covid border restrictions and current conflict areas and named it as the Long Loop Rally. They wanted to start a charity rally that was as challenging as The Mongol Rally and so they hit three continents and went as far east into Asia as possible (Armenia), as far north in Europe as possible, in the Arctic (Nordkapp, Norway), to the most northern point of Africa in Tunisia, the Sahara and Morocco in North Africa.They have raised ?2650 of the ?3000 target for their two chosen charities - Blesma, a charity working with military personnel and veterans who have suffered loss of limb, sight or other physical/mental health difficulties they may encounter, in order to help them live a fulfilled life, and Cool Earth who work with indigenous populations to come up with sustainable solutions to stop deforestation around the world.They decided to complete this rally in their Vauxhall Agila, 2003 1.2 litre, front wheel drive which they lovingly named ?Sheila the Agila?. They bought their car for just ?450 and invested another ?1000 to convert it into a micro camper with double bed, pull-out stove, kitchen and storage and even a fridge.They have lived full time in their car since July and admit that living in a car is drastically cheaper than paying rent especially given the current prices and the rise in energy bills.The couple have even picked up a companion, a Moroccan rescue pup named Tagha, who at five weeks old ran in front of their car, almost caused a crash but ended up stealing their hearts and they are raising money to adopt him from his country before they are able to leave Morocco. They are raising money for two charities and have JustGiving pages for them.So far they have visited France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, Lituania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino, Tunisia, Monaco, Andorra, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco?Being in a car is certainly less expensive in terms of rent,? they said?We have come to terms with the fact that we will likely never be able to afford a house in the UK with current prices, the rise in energy bills etc. and so have had van life as our ambition for some time now.?In our case living in a car is also cheaper to insure and run than a van. ?We also just don?t think we will be able to ever afford a house, especially whilst we continue to pay rent. ?Living in a car means we can save money in the long run and look at other opportunities aside from becoming tied to a mortgage. ?When we return from our current trip we have a plan to convert a van that we already own whilst working in the UK. ?Maybe one day we will want to be in a house and be able to afford it, but at the moment, a car suits us perfectly.? mediadrumimages/sheilatheagila — A great – and cheap – way to live (Picture: mediadrumimages/sheilatheagila)

For now though, their travel is on hold until Tagha can be adopted.

Alex said: ‘We became stranded on the last loop of the rally in Morocco in order to complete the adoption process for our newest family member – Tagha the Moroccan rescue pup.

‘But we can’t express how much we have loved living in our car the past few months, and have learnt so much about ourselves and each other and meeting people along the adventure.’

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