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The Chepstow Vintage Club tractor run was set up in memory of those who have been impacted by Parkinsons locally within the agricultural community.

The Chepstow Vintage Club tractor run fundraised over 1,000 for Parkinsons UK Cymru.

People in the agricultural community chose the charity as there was a number of people living local that had been impacted by the illness.

The route started at Howick Farm, the home of farmer Colin Jenkins. Mr Jenkins passed away last year from Parkinsons.

The convoy was made up of 40 tractors and four Land Rovers.

Justin Cooke, the director of the Chepstow Vintage Club, helped organise the event. His father, Graham Cooke was a farmer locally and passed away at 80 years old, after living with the condition for almost 7 years.

There are over forty symptoms of Parkinsons. But the 3 main symptoms of Parkinsons are a tremor (shaking), slowness of movement and rigidity (muscle stiffness).

Justin, from Chepstow, who still helps out on the family farm, said:

My father passed away in 2017, and he had Parkinsons. It is something thats impacted many people in the local agricultural community. My father was a very quiet man and not a complainer so he possibly had it a long time before he was diagnosed.

If you were on the farm on the weekend working with him, and it was time for him to take his medication, he was poorly for a couple of hours before it wore off and he could come back outside and join in the fun of doing something or doing some work around the farm or whatever.

There needs to be as much research as possible to look into it. We want to fund more research into the condition, he said.

Stephen Lewis, Treasurer of the Chepstow and District Parkinsons Support Group, who has been involved with the group since 2008, and whose wife Kate Lewis passed away with the condition aged 79, said: We need to try to raise the profile, raise money for more research and to support local Parkinsons groups.

This tractor run is something a little bit different and a fun way to raise money for the charity, he said.