AS warm-ups go a 2,000-mile round trip from Chepstow taking in Land's End and John O'Groats takes some beating.

But when Barry Watson takes his souped-up motorised rickshaw around Britain it will be a curtain raiser for a charity fundraiser to India.

Barry has set up a charity called Help the Village which aims to bring life-changing tools to women in the village of Baryparum, 200 miles north of the Indian city of Chennai.

The plan is to take 16 sewing machines to the village but first each of the teams taking part in the challenge will raise money by getting them photographed in front of famous landmarks.

Each of the machines has been given a name with a music theme and Barry's machine is called Buddy Holy, a reference to Holy Rao, a friend in India.

Barry, who runs Chepstow-based social media company Let Us Be Social, was joined by his son Luke of the Lionel Stitchey team and Dave Higgins of team Kenny Rogers when they took the tuc-tuc onto the streets of Chepstow on the weekend.

Other teams include Simply Thread and Right Said Thread and each machine has a wooden nameplate carved by Sedbury furniture maker David Eisenhofer.

Barry said: "This machine won't actually be going to India – it's been customized with a 500cc Kawasaki engine.

"I'm taking it from Chepstow to Land's End and then John O'Groats and back to Chepstow.

"Members of others teams are going to join me at various points and it should take a week to complete."

The project will provide the village's women with sewing machines and the skills to use them so they can earn a living.

Help the Village has already built 31 houses of wood and bamboo for the Yanadi people.

More information is available by calling 01291 622091 or visiting http://www.helpthevillage.co.uk">www.helpthevillage.co.uk or searching for help the village on Facebook.