THE
P RTAL
February 2013
Page 11
Overland to Lourdes!
by Arnold Herron
A chance meeting at the “Towards Advent Festival” led to an interview with Tom Allen, a Trustee of
the ACROSS charity. On behalf of T he P ortal , I drove to Surrey to meet this charming man. Pulling into the
drive, Tom was at the door to welcome. He is enthusiastic about this charity describing it as “my whole life!”
Once settled in his sitting room with
a delicious cup of tea accompanied
by a Bourbon biscuit, we began our
interview.
Tom Allen
I wondered how people know about
the charity. Tom said that they used to
place advertisements in the Catholic
press, “But now we don’t. Local
groups book (some are booked until
2017!), many go every year, others
every other year. Each local group gets
its own people together. Helpers need
to be CRB cleared and of course they
need medical helpers too.
Tom has been associated with
ACROSS since 2002, but a previous
charity began in 1973 as the “Across
Trust”. Running into financial
difficulties, it ceased in 2001 only to
be replaced by its Scottish branch “Across Scotland”. Jumbulance is quite arduous
“The ideal pilgrimage has ten VIPs (the sick or
This was an independent charity and made a successful
appeal for £200,000 cash in just two months in order disabled) ten general helpers, two nurses, one Doctor
and a priest. Some groups are elderly rather than
to purchase two vehicles!
disabled. Going on a
Jumbulance is quite
This
in
itself
arduous; it is not a joy
was
a
remarkable
ride. The vehicle leaves
achievement.
This
Glasgow for national and
charity then took up the
Scottish groups, picking
running of pilgrimages
people up as necessary.
to Lourdes for the sick
It is a twenty seven hour
and disabled. Many of
journey, nineteen from
these would be unable to
the south of England!
go to the South of France
We drive non-stop.
by aircraft and many
of those who could fly,
A national pilgrimage
chose to travel with the
begins in Scotland
Jumbulance.
and leaves Glasgow
pilgrimages for
at 0630 Thursday. A
the handicapped
feeder Driver drives
Now
ACROSS
to Charnock Richard
(always in capitals) is
Service Station on the
a company limited by
M6 where the two
guarantee with local
drivers for the journey
groups and a national
meet the vehicle, by
organisation. ACROSS
1030 the feeder driver
runs pilgrimages for
is on his way back to
ill and handicapped
Glasgow. They pick up
people - always referred
where necessary, and
to as VIPs - from Easter
stop for fuel of course.
until the end of October.
By 0630 Friday they will
Twenty of these are local groups often based on a be at Cahors in France, Here a driver from Lourdes
Catholic parish, the other ten are national where the takes over and takes the vehicle to Lourdes. The two
pilgrims come from all over the country.
main drivers then sleep at Cahors. We arrive at Lourdes